BBL08 GAME 31: STARS V HURRICANES
Really hard to fade The Redundant A’Postrophe tonight given the good MCG pitch and the (lack of) Stars bowling depth.
The Re-cap
Frustrating triple header with the games mostly going how we planned but cashing just 1/3. That big game is not too far away, maybe tonight at the MCG!
Likely XI’s
Game 31: Stars v Hurricanes @ MCG
Stars – Dunk, Gulbis, Larkin, Maddinson, Gotch, Bravo, Plunkett, Boland, Beer, Bowe, Bird (Morris,Merlo)
- Bird did more than enough to hold his place in the side and open the bowling, expect that Boland and Merlo are fighting for that final spot. How Maddinson only bowled Bowe for 1 over (and the 16th at that!) is beyond me, so we can’t really trust too much from the Stars bowlers tonight against a very strong Hurricanes attack. Gulbis and Dunk could be called upon again.
Hurricanes – Short, Wade, Doolan, McDermott, Bailey, Milenko, Faulkner, Botha, Archer, Rose, Meredith (Moody, Doran)
- Unchanged for seventh straight game so not expecting any changes for the final XI.
Selection Committee
The MCG is a bit of a road these days so I’m building around runs being scored in general. The other factor I am weighing heavily is the dominance of the Hurricanes top 6 against the Stars, and secondary to that the dominance of the Hurricanes in general. That Stars batting unit is very sub-par and with the ball if Bird cops some early, it really is all over for the Stars bowling unit.
Selection
Matthew wade ($16,900): Love Wadey tonight, especially if the Stars bat first. Bird’s swing is the only danger to Wade/Short dominating the power play so if you don’t take wade then Bird is a worthwhile look.
Ben McDermott ($12900): Maca is some insurance if a top order Hurricane falls. If that happens then you need to have McDermott because he is absolutely due. 10-20pts in the field can be relied upon too so only need 20-25 runs to pay off his price tag.
Sab Gotch ($10,100): I’m sticking with this kid. He should get plenty of time in the middle again tonight and always comes in stupidly low-owed, although tonight with a lot of the field wanting The Redundant A’Postrophe Gotch’s ownership may climb. Definite POD play this one, Doolan is another guy at this price point you can look too who will also be underowned.
Nick Larkin ($11,400): Gets a good deck and a Hurricanes bowling attack that will allow him to do what he loves which is knock around and build. One that could be very underowned tonight given Gulbis’ form and Dunk/Maddinson’s price tags, Larkin could be the forgotten man.
D’Arcy Short ($25,100): Forget price tag and just pick him. Very likely to get 2+ overs with the ball as well as absolutely dominate with the bat. If he survives Bird 200 fantasy points is not out of the question tonight.
Johan Botha ($12,200): Botha should come on right out of the power play and get 3-4 overs tonight on what looks a deck that will not help the quicks. If a few wickets do fall early for the Stars I don’t see the middle order clearing many boundary ropes which brings good economy into the equation for Botha. A wicket or two and he should fly past 60 with great ownership.
Clive Rose ($10,600): Avoiding any seamers tonight so taking Rose makes sense given the alternatives at the price point. Not expecting too much out of him but he is cagey enough to sneak into some economy so even if he doesn’t take a wicket he will still pay off the price tag.
Final Thoughts
This team is largely built around 1) the MG is friendly for batsman and 2) the Stars are a sub-standard bowling unit. If the Canes fire at the top this team will be right up there tonight. really hard to fade Short tonight, I expect he will be 60%+ owned. Taking a contrarian Stars-dominant lineup that has Jackson Bird in there (to dismiss Short) is a lineup that is worth considering for multiple lineup builders. If the Hurricanes bat first the taking 16-20 overs of Canes bowling + Short has some appeal given the run rate pressure the Stars are likely to be under early.
BBL08 Balance
Games: 30
Spend: $450
Win: $492.26
Profit: +$42.26
BBL