Tim Williams
SC Playbook founder, 2nd NRL 2020, 43rd BBL 21/22'
Squad Breakdown: Adelaide Strikers team analysis
Last year's 43rd placed finisher Tim Williams takes an in-depth look at the Adelaide Strikers predicted XI for the upcoming BBL season.
BBL
November 9, 2022
Since finishing first in the regular season in both BBL04 and BBL05, the Adelaide Strikers have been one of the more consistent sides in the Big Bash.
Despite the consistency, they boast just one title to their name in BBL07, which remains their only final appearance to date.
They enter BBL12 with an exciting roster, although star duo Alex Carey and Travis Head are likely to be on international duties until the back end of the SuperCoach season.
Long-time Brisbane Heat stalwart Chris Lynn joins the squad, along with Kiwi international Colin de Grandhomme, Cameron Boyce and Englishman Adam Hose.
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Key departures from the club include Jono Wells, Matt Renshaw and Fawad Ahmed.
The Strikers will be hot property early on with the early double game week in Round 1, and another in Round 9. They have the one bye in Round 5.
Our star SC Playbook contributor Max Bryden has done the hard yards to predict the starting XI of each team, I’ll be running my analysis off these forecasts.
Note that the starting XI’s will alter throughout the pre-season as new signings land, form alters and injuries strike, we’ll do our best to update as the news drops.
Embed from Getty ImagesMATT SHORT (BAT/BWL) // $197,500 // BBL11 SC Ave: 68.1
Ah Matty boy, an enigma no more.
After a couple of years of rollercoaster scoring and a lack of reliability, Short was finally given a more assured role with both bat and ball for the Strikers in BBL11 and didn’t he deliver!
His prominent role with the ball last season ensures he begins the tournament with the all-important dual position status.
Short had five SC tonnes last season, with four over 130 points, including a whopping 220 point round!
He was the second top run-scorer last tournament with 493 runs at 32.86, striking at an excellent 155.52. He took 8 wickets, with an economy of 7.15.
Recent form for Victoria has been impressive, with Marsh Cup scores of 53, 75, 43 and 17*.
With the ball he has returns of 0/35, 0/28 and 0/42.
With a somewhat unpredictable role he’d be great to watch in Round 1 to ensure he’s high up the order and bowling regularly before investing at $200k, but with the opening round double we may have to gamble due to his upside.
On last season he should be locked into a top order role, so I think we’ll be safe.
At top dollar he does loom as an early anti-POD opportunity though, he could shape the overall scoring in Round 1.
JAKE WEATHERALD (BAT) // $87,100 // BBL11 SC Ave: 19.5
Jakey boy, so brilliant at your best but such a SuperCoach killer of late.
He’s such an exciting player to own at his best, but unfortunately it’s been a few seasons in the BBL since we’ve seen that.
With Travis Head and Alex Carey likely unavailable, it should see him bat up the order, but he did bat lower at times last season.
The class is evident though, with a solid SuperCoach average in BBL10 of 42.9, and 42.8 the tournament prior.
He struggled to hit it off the square at times last season, averaging 17.75 runs.
His Marsh Cup form doesn’t help his case, with recent scores of 0, 0, 8 and 37.
If looking for some form, he’s been a bit better in Sheffield Shield with scores of 5, 18, 19, 52, 0 and 53.
He’s a no for me unless he comes into some form leading into BBL12.
CHRIS LYNN (BAT) // $112,200 // BBL11 SC Ave: 25
Lynny starts the season at a new club, and at bottom dollar off a dismal BBL11 campaign. It’s been confirmed he’ll bat at number three.
In that tournament he scored just 215 runs at an average of 17.91, striking at only 125.00.
However, we know what the SuperCoach great is capable of on his day, producing more respectable SC averages in the tournament’s prior of 55.2, 46.1, 43.6 and 106.6.
Are we all a little clouded in judgement by his history and memories at his scintillating best, or was last season simply an off-tournament which every cricketer is entitled to have?
I’m not sure, but he’s another who will shape the Round 1 scoring as he’s very hard to ignore at the bargain price of $112k.
Recent form for Northamptonshire in the Vitality Blast would suggest he’s back to his best.
Lynn played 11 games in the T20 tournament, scoring 516 runs at an average of 64.50, striking at 159.25.
His most recent scores in the tournament read 68, 5, 59, 5, 113*, 0, 61, 106* and 83. Fair hitting that…
He’ll be very hard to leave out on that form at his starting price with the double.
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ADAM HOSE (BAT) // $105,000 // BBL11 SC Ave: N/A
The 30-year-old English middle order batsman comes into the tournament off the back of plenty of recent T20 cricket.
Across his career he averages 31.21 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 146.33, which reads well.
Recent form is less impressive across the Caribbean Premier League and The Hundred tournament, with scores of 18, 1, 18, 17, 9 and 4.
However, three scores prior to that of 59, 53* and 30 show that perhaps some stronger form isn’t too far off.
English bats often take time to settle into Australian conditions on arrival, so I’m not willing to take the gamble to start the tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesCOLIN DE GRANDHOMME (BAT/BWL) // $125,000 // BBL11 SC Ave: N/A
The 36-year-old Kiwi arrives with plenty of recent cricket behind him across all formats, including a Test for New Zealand against England at Lords in June where he scored 42* and 0.
The allrounder looms as a bit of a wildcard to begin the tournament, largely due to the uncertainty around his exact role.
If batting as high as number four and bowling his four overs he could be anything in SuperCoach. But both of those outcomes seem unlikely.
Across 231 career T20s he averages 23.56 at a strike-rate of 157.92.
Bowling, he has 69 wickets with an economy of 9.46 which is a bit less appealing.
Recent form across numerous formats and competitions (Kiwi first-class, English County, Test, ODI…) is solid, consistently hitting double figure scores and bowling regularly with plenty of success.
He’s a strong monitor leading into the tournament, right up until the naming of the Strikers team in Round 1 to try and calculate what his exact role may be.
At a guess, and it’s only that, I’d say he bats at five and bowls a couple of overs.
THOMAS KELLY (BAT) // $80,500 // BBL11 SC Ave: 27.8
A promising young middle order bat who may figure later in the tournament, but I won’t be starting with him.
HARRY NIELSEN (WKP-BAT) // $62,500 // BBL11 SC Ave: 17.9
Nielsen has always shown some potential without really getting too much opportunity for the Strikers, at least in the sense that’d make him SuperCoach relevant.
He hasn’t been helped by Alex Carey’s fluctuating appearances for the Strikers.
However, he does start the tournament with a double game week and he’s at near bottom dollar off an average of just 17.9 last tournament.
He has minimal top grade cricket behind him heading into the tournament.
I can’t entertain early on unless given a significant promotion up the order which seems unlikely, especially with the big hitting Matt Gilkes also affordable on the early double in Round 1.
Embed from Getty ImagesRASHID KHAN (BWL) // $193,600 // BBL11 SC Ave: 66.7
Lock and load on the world’s best T20 bowler.
I won’t go into too much detail on Rashid because we already know his resume, so here’s his recent SuperCoach record.
BBL11: 66.7
BBL10: 63.6
BBL09: 67.2
BBL08: 70.6
Did I mention the leg-spinning star just hit 48 not out off 23 balls against Australia in a T20 World Cup clash?
Don’t think twice, the only decision will be whether or not he’s your skipper in Round 1.
HENRY THORNTON (BWL) // $163,900 // BBL11 SC Ave: 62.8
The risk with this Strikers quick bowling outfit for the opening round is that they’re always a rotation risk, evidenced by the fact Henry Thornton played seven games last season, Harry Conway played nine games and Wes Agar played seven.
For that reason I’m a little reluctant to invest with three teams on the early double and plenty of options.
Thornton was exceptional in scoring last season with a SC average of 62.8, made up largely from his 13 wickets at an economy of 8.28.
In four Marsh Cup matches this season he has returns of 3/67, 1/51, 0/52 and 3/55.
He’s also handy with the willow which should see him come in at eight which may provide a few bonus runs if the batting contingent fail.
I do think he starts at a fairly high price as a result of last season’s success, so he’s an avoid at this stage for me.
WES AGAR (BWL) // $138,900 // BBL11 SC Ave: 47.9
Harry Conway was left out of the squad for the Strikers first game, much to the despair of SuperCoach cheapie hunters, which has opened a door for Wes Agar.
We know the rotation risk is always prevalent with this Strikers bowling attack, so I can’t bring myself to start Agar at a fairly high price with Conway still lurking.
Embed from Getty ImagesPETER SIDDLE (BWL) // $151,300 // BBL11 Ave: 52.1
Siddle is very tempting having topped last season’s wicket tally with 30 scalps at an economy of 8.33.
Siddle was five wickets clear of Hayden Kerr and AJ Tye in second place, who were another five clear of Rashid Khan and Tom Rogers.
He’ll bowl death for the side where he has been lethal for many years.
The only real reluctance would be the fact he’ll arguably be over-priced off a bumper BBL11 campaign, and potential rotation risk, although I do think he plays both games in the double.
OTHER
Harry Conway, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Ryan Gibson, Henry Hunt
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