SuperCoach BBL opened for the 2023-24 summer, with the prices revealed, meaning we can home in on some Round 1 targets with interesting news on Michael Neser, Mitch Swepson, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Adam Zampa and Quinton de Kock.
Stay tuned, we’ll have HB member-only content and insights in the lead-up to SuperCoach BBL|13, with early-bird special offers
LATEST NEWS
Heat all-rounder Michael Neser is likely going to be a Round 1 target, given Brisbane have the Round 1 triple and he brings batting and bowling scoring capacity, but there are question marks about his availability. Neser was rested from Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield games over the past week to manage his workload from a Cricket Australia directive, signalling he’s in the mix for their first Test squad which would likely rule him out of games in Round 1.
But speaking to ABC Grandstand on Saturday, Neser also revealed his wife is due to give birth to twins in December, around the same time as BBL|13 commences which may impact his ability to play away games. Neser said: “Life is going to change as well, we’ve got a couple on the way come December. It’s going to be a busy summer for me and my wife.”
In Round 1, the Heat’s first game of their triple is at home to the Melbourne Stars, but they then play away games against the Strikers (in Adelaide) and the Thunder (in Canberra).
Heat spinner Mitch Swepson is a player of interest for SC BBL|13 given his $71k price tag and Brisbane’s Round 1 triple, but worryingly he hasn’t played any white ball cricket this season, with Queensland preferring to use Matt Kuhnemann as their lone spinner in the Marsh Cup. This comes after Swepson’s struggles in the 2022-23 season, taking only five wickets in 14 games BBL|12 games and four in five Marsh Cup games.
Instead, Swepson has only played red-ball cricket this season in a system where Queensland are utilizing both spinners in the different formats, potentially pointing to Kuhnemann being preferred come BBL, given the Queensland and Heat coach is the same person, Wade Seccombe.
Swepson spoke after taking 2-58 and 5-39 to help Queensland beat Victoria in the Shield this week, saying: “You want to be playing as much cricket as you can, and the luxury we have at this stage is we’ve got two spinners who have played for Australia, and juggling that can be tough at times.
“I couldn’t speak higher of Kuhney, he’s a great bowler and it’s unfortunate for him that he’s not getting overs during the Shield games and I’m sure he’s frustrated with that, likewise me not being able to play one-day cricket. I’m really enjoying the fact that I can really knuckle down and focus on my red ball game at the moment, and it seems to be helping. The ball’s coming out nicely and the wickets are coming as well.”
For more on BBL|13 availability, read our availability calendar here
INJURY NEWS
Fresh from his record-breaking century, Renegades batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk missed SA’s Marsh Cup game against NSW due to “soreness”, having played in their Sheffield Shield game a few days earlier, although he only faced a collective 26 balls in that match, so it seemed a curious absence.
New Strikers signing Brendan Doggett missed last week’s SA games after pulling up sore after their October 8 Marsh Cup game against Tasmania with a quad injury diagnosed. SA Senior Physiotherapist Sam Offord said: “He’ll be re-assessed early next week to work out the timeframes for his return to cricket.”
Sixers all-rounder Hayden Kerr remained out for NSW due to an adductor injury for both their Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup games this week.
New Stars recruit Joel Paris along with Scorchers quick Jhye Richardson got valuable game-time following injuries, playing for the WA Second XI against SA, albeit on restricted overs. But Richardson also sustained a dislocation to the right shoulder he’d previously injured.
Paris took 0-12 (5 overs) and 3-44 (15) and Richardson only bowled once for 0-16 (8) in the first innings. On the injury, the WACA provided an update: “Scans on Jhye Richardson’s right shoulder which was dislocated in the second XI match last Tuesday have cleared him from any major structural damage. As a nationally contracted player, WA Cricket is working with Cricket Australia to determine his return to play.”
Richardson actually scored 85 from 128 balls with the bat in the first innings, while Paris scored 42. On a sidenote, SC cheapie D’Arcy Short was dismissed for a pair in the Second XI game, having also had two ducks in three Marsh Cup innings this season in a worrying form slump with the bat.
Scorchers quick Lance Morris (stress-related back injury) and Stars bat Hilton Cartwright (meniscus tear) successfully returned from injuries for WA this week in the Shield too. Morris, however, will miss WA’s next Shield game, with Cricket Australia keen to manage his workload in a sign he’s in the Test frame this summer, which will impact his BBL availability.
Another Scorchers fast bowler Matt Kelly is sidelined due to a left calf strain sustained at training late last month following a quad strain which meant he missed the start of the campaign, so he “will enter a period of rehabilitation in preparation for Perth Scorchers’ KFC BBL|13 campaign”.
SIGNINGS/RE-SIGNINGS
No signings or re-signings were announced this week, likely with clubs trying to give WBBL some exposure. Stay tuned, this will ramp up next month.
INTERNATIONAL CALL-UPS
The Bangladesh Premier League had their auction last Sunday for the 2024 season, running from January 6 to February 17, curiously with Stars import batsman Harry Brook taken by Chattogram Challengers and Thunder import bowler Zaman Khan snapped up by Comilla Victorians.
Despite the obvious clash with BBL|13, don’t worry too much as there were BBL-contracted players drafted last season and they didn’t take up the BPL offers.
View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Adelaide Strikers
View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Perth Scorchers
FORM GUIDE
Firstly to the World Cup where new Renegades signing Adam Zampa has re-discovered some elite form despite back spasms, taking 4-47 then 4-53 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively. With the Gades having a Round 1 double and Zampa coming in at $131k, he needs to be considered.
Mitch Marsh (121 from 108) and David Warner (163 from 124) both made big centuries against Pakistan but are likely to be unavailable for BBL|13 due to Test duty. Stars’ Pakistani recruit Haris Rauf was tonked early by the Aussies but finished with 3-83 from 8 overs, while their other import Usama Mir took 1-82 from 9 overs.
Gades wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock had started the World Cup with back-to-back tons but he’s since been dismissed for 20 and 4. Stars’ English import Harry Brook scored 66 in their shock loss to Afghanistan but hasn’t done much beyond that.
In domestic cricket, Strikers top-order batsman Matt Short doesn’t have a Round 1 double but he’s making a compelling case to be in starting sides, scoring 134 from 100 balls in Victoria’s 19-run win over Queensland in the Marsh Cup. Short also scored a century in last week’s Sheffield Shield game for Victoria, underlining his hot form.
Heat bowling all-rounder Jack Wildermuth also put his name back up in lights given they’ve got a Round 1 triple, taking 3-72 from 10 overs in that Marsh Cup game, although he was out for a golden duck. He missed most of last season due to an ongoing back injury. Under-priced Hurricanes wicketkeeper-batsman Ben McDermott scored 86 from 82 at the top of the order.
New Thunder signing Liam Hatcher took 3-73 from 10 overs in NSW’s 33-run win over SA in the Marsh Cup, which marked his first game since a foot injury. Sixers captain Moises Henriques won the Player of the Match with 103* from 72 deliveries plus 1-9 from three overs. He also took three wickets across nine overs in NSW’s Shield game against SA. If he’s bowling in BBL|13, he’ll need to be considered.
We don’t like to pay too much attention to the Shield given it’s red-ball cricket, but some notes worth mentioning are big centuries to Jordan Silk and Sam Whiteman in the Tasmania-WA game, while Heat batsman Nathan McSweeney scored a hundred for SA against NSW.
Heat batsman Matt Renshaw made 135 to be Player of the Match in Queensland’s Shield win over Victoria, before adding 102 in the Marsh Cup. He’s a strong chance to be unavailable for most of the BBL due to Test duties, but definitely not a lock for that squad where he’ll likely be a back-up.
To view all the BBL|13 squads to this point, with ins and outs, go here
