- KFC Big Bash League 12
- Tuesday December 13, 2022 - Saturday February 4, 2023
- Australia
There is the equivalent of a team of English players who have signed up to play in this edition of the BBL, be it all of or for part of the competition.
The eclectic eleven are as follows: Sam Billings, Joe Clarke, Zak Crawley, Sam Hain, Alex Hales, Adam Hose, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, James Vince, Ross Whiteley and Luke Wood.
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A number of others have pulled out for reasons ranging from injuries to a drugs related issue in the case of Perth batter Laurie Evans.
Sydney Sixers, champions in 2019/20 and 2020/21, are the bookies favourites at 4/1 with betvictor amongst other firms, while current holders Perth Scorchers are a best price of 11/2 with bet365.
The men in green could steal the Sixers’ Thunder
Having already mentioned the favourites, Sydney Sixers, it is actually the other Sydney team who I fancy to lift the title come early February, the lime green machine of the Sydney Thunder.
They are a best price of 6/1 with William Hill to claim only their second title (the first being BBL05).
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Sydney Thunder to win the BBL - 6/1
Graham likes the Thnuder as his outright pick
My reasoning. Firstly, they look very well balanced. Power up top with overseas batters Alex Hales and Rilee Rossouw, all round quality in Daniel Sams, wicket-takers in Nathan McAndrew and Usman Qadir. They also have David Warner to come in after international duty in mid-January, just in time for the finals series.
Secondly, Thunder shouldn’t be too badly affected by international call-ups throughout the next couple of months, although that is always hard to be completely sure.
They may also get spin star Tanveer Sangha back from a stress fracture of his back at some point later in the tournament.
I would be keen to take a couple of other shorter prices on Thunder success.
The first is the 5/2 betfair are offering on them to reach the final, an explanation for which has been aforementioned.
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Sydney Thunder to reach the final - 5/2
A place in the final game looks a solid pick
The second is the 4/1 bet365 are offering on them to hit the most sixes in the tournament. Hobart Hurricanes, with the likes of Matthew Wade and Tim David playing a number of games at the postage stamp Blundstone Arena, are 9/4 favourites. And that doesn’t surprise me.
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Sydney Thunder to hit the most sixes - 4/1
A big hitting team looks ready for a strong tournament
But take last season as a snapshot example. Thunder hit 85 sixes and the Hurricanes 83.
They have plenty of power in the likes of Hales, Rossouw, Sams, Warner, captain Jason Sangha, Ben Cutting and young gun Oli Davies.
Bowling favourites can bring home the bacon
In the next two sections, I will be offering up suggestions for top wicket-takers and run-scorers.
Starting with the bowlers, I’m going to play things a bit safer.
Sean Abbott should give you a good run for your money to be Sydney Sixers top bowler. He is priced at 5/4 with bet365.
Sean Abbott to be top Sydney Sixers bowler - 5/4
Abbott arrives in great form
The seamer is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the BBL with 125.
He has taken 12 wickets in his last five appearances for state New South Wales and Australia over the last month in first-class and one-day cricket.
Abbott claimed 19 in last season’s BBL, behind left-arm seamer Hayden Kerr (25).
Likewise, Hobart seamer Nathan Ellis - similarly wily - is 2/1 with bet365 to be their top wicket-taker. He only claimed 11 last season, behind another seamer Tom Rogers (20). But he is in good form.
Nathan Ellis to be top Hobart Hurricanes bowler - 2/1
Ellis has started the new season well
Again, like Abbott, he has taken 12 wickets in his last five appearances for state Tasmania and Australia and has recently tasted T20 success in the Blast with Hampshire, for who, he struck 15 times.
Ellis is actually the 10/1 favourite to be the top tournament wicket-taker with betfair, though I’m not sure the Hurricanes will go deep. I’d stick with the 2/1.
English duo can top the ‘Bill’ings
I quite like the 23/10 betfair have on Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke to be the top run-scorer in the tournament for the Melbourne Stars.
Joe Clarke to be top Melbourne Stars run scorer - 23/10
Clarke is fancied to shine down under
He could very well open the batting, he will certainly be leaned on more due to Glenn Maxwell’s injury absence, and I think he’s a fantastic talent. He has three hundreds in 136 career appearances to his name, and I expect him to have a good tournament.
England fringe wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings has moved teams to join Brisbane Heat from the Sydney Thunder, a player who was picked up by the Queenslanders in the new player draft a couple of months back.
He knows Australia like the back of his hand having been a BBL regular in recent seasons, and he only recently played for England in the short and sharp ODI series Down Under immediately after the T20 World Cup last month, scoring a fine middle order 71 in a defeat.
Last season, he scored an impressive 284 runs in only nine games for Thunder, and I can see him being a focal point for the Heat in this competition.
Hopefully, for the purposes of these tips, he misses out on ODI selection for the late January ODI series in South Africa.
But I can see him being the Heat’s top batter in the tournament at 6/1 with bet365, and I wouldn’t shy away from the 100/1 the same company have on him to be the tournament’s top batter. Ladbrokes are also offering the same price.
Sam Billings to be top Brisbane Heat run scorer - 6/1
Billings could have success with his new team
Sam Billings to be tournament top run scorer - 100/1
At a three figure price, Billings could get involved in this race
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