Hobart Hurricanes – Predicted XI for Round 1 BBL|13

The Hobart Hurricanes don’t have a double until Round 7 in SuperCoach so they’re far from the most relevant team this season, but there’s a few bargains to consider led by Ben McDermott.

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Ins/Outs

Ins: Peter Hatzoglou (Perth Scorchers), Chris Jordan (Sydney Sixers), Sam Hain (Brisbane Heat), Corey Anderson (NZ/USA), Sam Heazlett (Brisbane Heat), Nikhil Chaudhary (Northern Suburbs), Liam Guthrie (Brisbane Heat)

Outs: Joel Paris (Melbourne Stars), D’Arcy Short (Adelaide Strikers), Scott Boland (Melbourne Stars), Zak Crawley (Perth Scorchers), Tim Paine, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Jimmy Neesham

Squad: Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Paddy Dooley, Mac Wright, Iain Carlisle, Peter Hatzoglou, Chris Jordan, Sam Hain, Corey Anderson, Sam Heazlett, Nikhil Chaudhary, Liam Guthrie

Uncontracted from BBL|12: Wil Parker, Chris Tremain, Tom Andrews

Hobart have one list spot still to fill and the club have indicated that’ll likely be a fast bowler like BBL|12 squad member Chris Tremain or locally-based Lawrence Neil-Smith, Gabe Bell, Bradley Hope or Sam Rainbird.

View our list of the top 5 speculative picks in SC BBL|13

Availability Issues

The Canes look like they’re largely unimpacted by Australia Test selection, while all three of their internationals should be available for Round 1 but that’ll change late in the season with Chris Jordan, Sam Hain and Corey Anderson all contracted to play in the ILT20.

Jordan and Hain, however, could be involved in England’s ODI/T20I series against the West Indies in December, which clashes with Rounds 1-4. England’s squad for that series was always likely to be a B-team but given their World Cup woes, a lot is up in the air. Jordan and Hain have both been involved internationally in recent times though.

On the injury front, Riley Meredith is the only concern at the moment, nursing a side strain but the Canes insist he’ll be fit a fortnight out from BBL. Nathan Ellis recently returned from a groin injury while Billy Stanlake has enjoyed a rare clean bill of health this season.

View our list of the top 10 value picks in SC BBL|13

Predicted Round 1 XI Rationale

After September’s BBL Draft, Hurricanes Head of Strategy Ricky Ponting offered up some interesting insights on their likely line-up. He said: “We’ll shuffle our batting order around from where it was last year with the quality domestic batsmen we’ve got, Jewell, Wade, McDermott and David, we’ll probably structure the top order a little bit different than it was last year. So we want a 4-slot and a 6-slot. Tom Curran was our first choice (but the Sydney Sixers retained him). Jordan probably goes down to a 7-8 slot now. That’s why we needed another lower-order batter in Anderson. We’re really happy with Sam Hain. We did our homework. His record at no.4 is outstanding. He’s the sort of player we need in that middle order to bat around McDermott and Tim David.”

The Canes have barely fired a shot in the BBL since finishing top in 2018-19, meaning they’re a bit hard to predict as something needs to give. Moving on D’Arcy Short was a big move, but he had struggled in recent campaigns, while Zak Crawley leaves a top-order void too.

As Ponting says, they’ll shuffle their top order but surely getting Ben McDermott back to opening, where he’s had success this season with Queensland, is on the cards alongside Caleb Jewell who went well at the back end of BBL|12. Matthew Wade will be up there and Mac Wright is likely cover. Expect Wade to take the gloves, not McDermott too, but the latter could be a bargain at $88k for cash gen, even without the early doubles.

English middle-order specialist Hain likely comes in at 4, with new signing Sam Heazlett his main competition or cover if the Englishman gets a national call-up. Tim David will take up the role he’s mastered at 5, prior to internationals Anderson and Jordan at 6 and 7. Given Jordan likely bowls four overs, if he does bat at 7 that is a very SC friendly role, especially given he’s capable in the field. All-rounders Mitch Owen and Nikhil Chaudhary are the competition for Anderson and Jordan’s spots, with Owen likely next in ahead of the raw Chaudhary who’s been playing Queensland grade cricket with Josh Brown’s club Northern Suburbs.

Despite what Ponting said, there is scope Jordan shuffles down to 8 and they pick an additional batsman like Heazlett or Wright, rather than five bowlers. That could bring David or Heazlett into the bowling mix, or even Anderson who bowled in three of five Major League Cricket games a few months ago.

Death-overs gun Nathan Ellis could bat as high as 8, before spinner Paddy Dooley. If Meredith is fit, he’s first choice. Pending conditions, the last spot goes to potential cash cow Stanlake or new spin recruit Peter Hatzoglou. Iain Carlisle is the cover along with Liam Guthrie who offers variety as a left-arm option who can bowl powerplay.

Predicted Round 1 XI

1 C.Jewell
2 B.McDermott
3 M.Wade (wk, c)
4 S.Hain
5 T.David
6 C.Anderson
7 C.Jordan
8 N.Ellis
9 P.Dooley
10 R.Meredith
11 P.Hatzoglou/B.Stanlake (pending conditions)

View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Brisbane Heat

View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Sydney Sixers

View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Adelaide Strikers

View our predicted Round 1 line-up for the Perth Scorchers

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