BBL13 Futures, 2023/24 Winner
With the momentum of the ODI World Cup behind the nation – nobody paid attention to those T20s against India – the 13th edition of the Big Bash is set to kick off on Thursday night when the Brisbane Heat host the Melbourne Stars.
While the Perth Scorchers will be looking to add to their expansive trophy cabinet with a sixth BBL title, several teams have bulked up their lists and will attempt to knock the Westerners from their perch.
Best Bet: Perth Scorchers
$3.60
I mean, what else can you say?
The back-to-back champions have had a monopoly on the BBL title for years and are now looking to become the first team in history to win three straight (and six in total).
Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, and Cameron Bancroft created the most dominant batting line-up we’ve seen for years, with each player sitting in the top 10 for runs. Hardie led the charge with 460 at 41.81.
Importantly for the defending champions, Bancroft is the only one of the four-some not returning after he signed with the Thunder during the off-season.
Mitch Marsh and Cooper Connolly will have no issues filling the void left by Bancroft, while English Test opener Zak Crawley will bring his clean-hitting expertise to the Scorchers for the first nine games.
Add in the bowling of Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye, Lance Morris, and Jhye Richardson, and it’s easy to see why this star-studded unit is short in the market.
Next Best: Sydney Sixers
$5.00
The Sixers continued to wreak havoc during their 2022/23 campaign, finishing second at the end of the home and away fixture with ten wins.
While they were unable to recapture the form of their back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021, they did produce the most incredible batting display of the tournament when Steve Smith slapped 346 runs at an average of 86.50 from his five games. While the champion former Australian skipper will miss a handful of games during the Pakistan series, he is expected to return for the back end of the BBL in January.
Jordan Silk will be looking for a repeat of his own batting performances (averaged 45.37), while Sean Abbott was the league-leading bowler with 29 wickets.
The Sixers’ fortunes will rely heavily on Smith’s output, but with his availability during finals, they are every chance to knock the Scorchers off their throne.
Best Value: Melbourne Stars
$10.00
While the Stars spent the off-season licking their wounds after finishing dead-last with just three wins from their 14 matches, they have reason to believe in a much-improved campaign this time around and potentially their first-ever BBL title. How sweet it would taste after three years of 7th, 6th and 8th.
Despite drafting English powerhouse Harry Brook and losing him in the same breath when he ruled himself out of BBL13, the Stars will be salivating over the return of Glenn Maxwell. A large part of the Stars’ demise last season came because of Maxwell’s broken leg, leaving the Green Machine without the most destructive short-form batsman in the world. After his record-breaking performance in the ODI World Cup of 201* (128), Maxwell is well-placed to dismantle bowling attacks alongside Joe Burns, Sam Harper, Hilton Cartwright, and Marcus Stoinis.
Joel Paris, Mark Steketee, and star test paceman Scott Boland have been picked up by the Stars as they add incredible bowling depth alongside Haris Rauf, giving them their most well-rounded outfit for years.
