BBL|16 isn’t far away and squads are getting firmed up, so Honeyball is going club by club to analyse ins/outs, key intel and predicted line-ups for the season start.
Contracted squad (14)
Batsmen: Finn Allen (NZ), Hilton Cartwright, Campbell Kellaway, Tom Rogers
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Craig Overton (ENG), Jamie Overton (ENG), Marcus Stoinis
Wicketkeepers: Sam Harper
Bowlers: Austin Anlezark, Liam Hatcher, Todd Murphy, Peter Siddle, Mitch Swepson
Changes
Ins: Todd Murphy (Sixers), Finn Allen (Scorchers), Jamie Overton (Strikers), Craig Overton (England)
Outs: Tom Curran (Heat), Haris Rauf (Strikers), Joe Clarke (England)
TBC: Scott Boland, Blake Macdonald, Hamish McKenzie, Jono Merlo, Mark Steketee, Tom Whitney
Key Intel
New Zealand international blaster Finn Allen is the big recruit, coming across from the Perth Scorchers after a strong BBL|15 with the champions. He’ll fill a hole, opening the batting and replacing Joe Clarke.
New Stars coach Cameron White said: “Finn and Jamie, in particular, some of the most sought-after players in franchise cricket around the world.”
English all-rounder Jamie Overton is a great addition from the Adelaide Strikers after several excellent BBL campaigns and he’s likely to play a similar role, replacing Brisbane-bound Tom Curran. White said: “He bowls quick and bats and fields.”
Bowling all-rounder Craig Overton is the other overseas signing. White said: “Craig provides excellent batting depth, another gun fielder. People we know can show up, compete, we can trust and fight hard for the club.”
Further Info
There is some uncertainty around all three overseas players’ availability, noting BBL runs from December 12 to January 26. Jamie Overton is likely to be part of an England 3-game ODI tour of South Africa from January 10-15.
Finn Allen and Craig Overton are both contracted with UAE ILT20 clubs which runs from November 22 to December 20. James and Craig Overton are also both contracted to SA-20 clubs, which runs from January 17.
Glenn Maxwell is nursing a knee issue ahead of BBL|16 but should be good to go. Keep an eye on it though.
Predicted Line-up
The Stars still have 4 list spots to confirm, but they’ve locked in their imports and White wants stability so don’t expect too many changes. Either way, below is structurally indicative at the very least.
Keep an eye on Finn Allen and Craig Overton arriving on time for Round 1 following ILT20 commitments. The addition of spinner Todd Murphy adds on option pending conditions, which could see him flip with Liam Hatcher or another quick.
1 Sam Harper (wk)
2 Finn Allen
3 Campbell Kellaway
4 Marcus Stoinis (c)
5 Glenn Maxwell
6 Hilton Cartwright
7 Jamie Overton
8 Craig Overton
9 Mitch Swepson
10 Todd Murphy/Liam Hatcher
11 Peter Siddle
