As expected, the Big Bash League got off to a terrific start with crowds thronging the stadiums in huge numbers. Now a hectic second week awaits us post the Christmas break. Oye Captain users, who haven't able to find success in the opening week, will now have a fair idea to fare better in the second week. With eight matches up our sleeves, here are some tips to help you out.
Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars finally open their campaign in the sixth game of the tournament against a side that struggled to post big totals last campaign. That's a clear indication to pick up a couple of bowlers at least in your XI from the Stars.
Adam Zampa is always a wicket taking option and hence is a must have. Ben Hilfenhaus is another option that you can consider since he can make early inroads with the new ball. From the Hurricanes, Cameron Boyce and Shaun Tait seem to be ideal picks especially considering the latter's unpredictable nature. Among the wicketkeepers, Tim Paine should be your first choice!
The Stars also provide plenty of all-round options for you to choose from. It's quite a tricky situation to be in as Hurricanes have Dan Christian as well. The trio of Glenn Maxwell, Luke Wright and Marcus Stoinis seem to be the perfect blend in terms of cost and impact but Christian isn't a bad option to have.
Among the batsmen, Kevin Pietersen will be an obvious contender but Kumar Sangakkara can be avoided at least for now considering he had a torrid time last season. Ben Dunk and Rob Quiney can provide value for money.
Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers
Considering the SCG's slow nature, the spinners can prove to be handy which brings the likes of Stephen O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar into the picture irrespective of their value. Someone like Andrew Tye can prove to be handy as well with his variations apart from Behrendorff.
If you want to go with an experienced campaigner, pick Brad Haddin as your keeper else pick Sam Whiteman since he has been in great form with the bat in the warm-up games.
After his heroic effort with the bat on the opening night, Moises Henriques seems to be an obvious choice alongside someone like Mitchell Marsh. Johan Botha being an off spinner can fill the third slot but he is quite expensive.
Among the batsmen, Daniel Hughes seems to be a safe choice after his half-century on opening night, and the fact that he also costs only 7.5. England opener Jason Roy is a must have considering his form off late. Ian Bell can be picked if you are willing to gamble but Michael Klinger is another option that can guarantee you points considering his consistency.
Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat
The best tip for this game would be to cut down on the all-rounders and stack up five bowlers and five batsmen each unless Shane Watson regains his fitness. If Watson is indeed available and if you are willing to gamble, then pick both Watson and Andre Russell, else just stick with Russell.
Jimmy Peirson seems to be the ideal choice at the moment for the wicketkeeper slot whereas the likes of Chris Lynn, Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum are available among the batsmen. Remember, Usman Khawaja won't be available as he will be on national duty. Alex Ross can be another option after his exploits in his side's opening game.
Among the bowlers, a punt can be taken with Arjun Nair, who is being rated very highly. Pat Cummins can prove to be a useful tool with a price of just 7.5 but picking both Samuel Badree and Ben Cutting can prove to be difficult considering their value. Mark Steketee is valued at only 7 and he fetched plenty of points in his side's first game.
Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers
Sam Whiteman once again seems to be the ideal choice behind the stumps as he is also the least valued player in terms of price among the three options. At 7.5, Tom Cooper is your least expensive batsman and he can prove to be quite useful as well.
Cameron White and Aaron Finch will be present in most of the line-ups but a call needs to be taken on Ian Bell's presence yet again based on his adaptability. Klinger seems to be the safer option alongside Adam Voges.
Dwayne Bravo is the most expensive player among the all-rounders at 9.5 but he is also someone whom you cannot afford to miss out on unless you are prepared for a gamble.
Brad Hogg can be left out as the likes of Klinger, Bell and Voges are expected to deal with him. There are plenty of options to choose from as the users could be tempted to include Mitchell Johnson but the move also has the potential to backfire massively. Sunil Narine is certainly someone to be picked though!
Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes
This can easily be a one-sided affair! Hurricanes do not boast of a strong bowling line up despite Broad's presence. Jimmy Peirson, Brendon McCullum, Alex Doolan, Chris Lynn, you can name them all! These guys can run riot yet again like they did in their opening game.
Considering Hurricanes’ openers have been edgy, Samuel Badree, who likes operating with the new ball can be picked too. Ben Cutting can prove to be a perfect choice as he can also use the long handle to good effect.
Among the all-rounders though, Dan Christian will be the top pick! Shaun Tait is still viewed as a wicket taking option despite the fact that he can be erratic and he is only valued at 7.5 which is a huge plus. Mark Steketee rated at just 7 is another bargain buy who can yield excellent results.
Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers
It's an interesting clash and with both teams boasting a strong batting line up, it can prove to be a high scoring game especially if the pitch is another batting beauty. With Haddin still not oozing confidence with the bat, Tim Ludeman seems to be a sensible choice behind the stumps.
The English duo of Sam Billings and Jason Roy can light up Adelaide with their extraordinary ability on a hard surface and to adjust the cost on the other side, Daniel Hughes can be considered. Travis Head despite being valued at 9 is a must have.
Moises Henriques is the ideal choice for the all-rounder slot as users should still stay clear of picking Pollard ideally. He seems to be low on confidence so picking him especially with his value being 9.5 can be extremely risky.
If you do opt for Pollard, then you can make up for the high price by selecting someone like Joe Mennie in your side. He made a bright start to the campaign and is available cheap at 7. Even though picking spinners can prove to be costly on this surface, Adil Rashid, given his exploits last season, can be trusted.
Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades
What a big clash this is going to be! More than 80,000 turned up at the MCG last time around and expect the same this time as well. And with a big match, you expect big players to step up which automatically brings someone like Pietersen into the equation.
With the Stars in action, the choice for all-rounders is always aplenty. And when you throw someone like Dwayne Bravo into the mix, things get even tougher. Ideally, it is advised to utilise all three slots and pick wisely based on the cost as well. Bravo once again looks like an automatic pick but so is Maxwell. With both players being expensive, complementing them with someone like Stoinis makes sense.
Selecting only three bowlers in such a scenario can help with the likes of Sunil Narine and Adam Zampa being a must as they are both wicket taking options.
Considering you can pick only seven players from a single team, you will also have a big call to make while picking Wade or Handscomb as your glove-man. Finch, White and Cooper are some of the other options apart from KP to be considered among the batsmen for this mega clash.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
