BBL12 is rolling around just in time for silly season!
There’s heaps to get excited about this season, loads of player movement and some brand new faces.
Having cricket on nearly every night during the Christmas period truly is the gift that keeps on giving and it’s my job this season to try and tip you punters some winners!
Scroll down for my daily Big Bash Tips!
Game three of BBL12 takes us to Far North Queensland where the Brisbane Heat will be taking on the Melbourne Renegades.
Cazalys Stadium in Cairns will be where the two sides will go at it and Brisbane open as slight favourites.
Does that mean I’m willing to back the Heat with any confidence? No not really. The Heat have been easily the most disappointing team in recent memory and I just don’t see this side improving. The Renegades at $2 is what I’m liking.
Despite my scathing review of The Heat, Max Bryant has been one of the more consistent players in recent times. He averages 22 which is admittedly lower than I thought but I like him at the top of the order to knock it round at get past the 15 run mark.
Former Brisbane Heat Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is now playing for the ‘Gades and I like the revenge game narrative here. His ex teammates will look to take him to town and I think a couple of them may hole out in the deep. I like Mujeeb for 2+ wickets.
There we plenty of runs scored during the Test Match at Adelaide Oval, will this BBL game be the same? The Strikers will sure hope so.
They’re up against BBL11 runners up the Sydney Sixers who finished 9-4 in their regular season games.
Adelaide were pretty aggressive during the winter with their signings, Matt Renshaw departs back to Brisbane but the Strikers went and signed Chris Lynn and selected Kiwi All Rounder Colin De Grandhomme in the BBL Draft.
I just get the feeling Chris Lynn will all of a sudden be healthy and play like the Lynny we saw in the 2016/17 season. I’m on him to score 15+ in his first game for Adelaide.
Peter Siddle surely is immortal isn’t he? At 38 years of age he’s still one of the BBL’s premier seam up bowlers.
He has 85 BBL wickets at an average of 18.47 and I like him to collect a couple against this Sydney side. I’m on him for 2+ wickets.
To round out my same game multi, I’ve got the first innings total to be 155+. The average score for a T20 at the Adelaide Oval is 146 but I feel like with the hitters both of these sides are bringing out. We should see the score tick over past 155 on the famous old scoreboard comfortably!
We’re getting things off and running in BBL12 with the Thunder taking on the Stars at Manuka Oval.
Manuka is one of the smaller grounds in the country so I’m expecting blokes like Marcus Stoinis, Joe Burns, Alex Hales and Jason Sangha should be able to find the boundary with ease.
First innings total 170+ at $1.90 is a market that I’m really liking for the above reasons. Both sides have some huge hitters and I think the short boundaries in Canberra will favour the batsmen.
I’ve backed the Stars head to head mainly because I think they have a better bowling attack. Adam Zampa, Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile and left arm tearaway Luke Wood should really trouble the Thunder.
Luke Wood is one to watch this season, the left arm quick took 3/24 on debut for England during the world cup and I don’t mind the market for him to take 3+ Wickets at $5.25. Especially early in the season when most sides haven’t faced him yet.
I’ve also got Stoinis to hit a six in my multi purely for rig based selection purposes. He’s a big unit and will go hard at the bowlers early.