2015/16 T20 Big Bash League team-by-team betting preview

THE Peerless Perth Scorchers are the team to beat in this year’s fifth incarnation of the KFC T20 Big Big Bash League.

Installed as joint favourites to go back-to-back and win the tournament for the third time in a row, the Scorchers are $4.50 with sportsbet.com.au to repeat the feat.

They are joined at the quote by Melbourne’s premier team, the Stars, who are also $4.50 after finishing third but being bundled out at the semi final stage last season.

But the bookie’s Rich Hummerston reports it is the boys from down south who are attracting the most interest from punters.

The stacked Hobart Hurricanes are a gaudy $9, but feature a superb batting line up that is hand picked for T20 dominance.

The Hurricanes have been best backed with Sportsbet, attracting plenty of action ahead of Thursday’s first game.

“You’ve got Ben Dunk making runs for fun at the moment, Kumar Sangakkara who brings a lifetime of experience to the team and Shaun Tait who can be devastating in this format, it’s no surprise the Hurricanes are the ones the punters want,” Hummerston said.

“With the Test series between Australia and the West Indies leaving cricket lovers unsatisfied and disappointed, the Twenty20 Big Bash could not be coming at a better time.”

Hummerston said a mountain of money had been dumped on Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara – the Hurricanes marquee man – to lead the tournament in runs at a quote of $13.

‘Big Bash stalwarts, Chris Gayle ($10), Kevin Pietersen ($11) and Aaron Finch ($15) have also been popular,” he said.

The Scorchers swooped on the title last season, finishing second and ploughing their way to the flag with a win over the Sydney Sixers, who are on the third line of betting at $7.50.

In that match, Perth got home by four wickets, chasing down the Sixers 5/147 to finish on 6/148.

It was one of the most remarkable T20 matches ever and provides the springboard for another massive season of Big Bash cricket.

Who will win? We don’t know for sure, but we’re going to do our best to pin a down a tip or two to get you through the T20 domestic summer and help you make a little bit of cash.

KFC T20 Big Bash tournament winner market

Perth Scorchers ($4.50)

Melbourne Stars ($4.50)

Melbourne Renegades ($6)

Sydney Sixers ($7.50)

Hobart Hurricanes ($9)

Adelaide Strikers ($9)

Brisbane Heat ($11)

Sydney Thunder ($12)

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

Top tournament run scorer

Chris Gayle ($10)

Kevin Pietersen ($11)

Kumar Sangakkara ($13)

Michael Klinger ($13)

Aaron Finch ($15)

Luke Wright ($17)

Chris Lynn ($17)

Ben Dunk ($17)

Lendl Simmons ($17)

Nic Maddinson ($17)

Shane Watson ($17)

Others quoted

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

Top tournament wicket taker

John Hastings ($12)

James Faulkner ($12)

Jason Behrendorff ($14)

Dwayne Bravo ($14)

Nathan Rimmington ($17)

Ben Laughlin ($17)

Gurinder Sandhu ($17)

Samuel Badree ($17)

Cameron Boyce ($17)

Scott Boland ($17)

Andre Russell ($17)

Joel Paris ($17)

Johan Botha ($19)

Others quoted

Odds provided by WilliamHill.com.au

Adelaide Strikers

Last season: First – lost in semi final

Season record: six wins, one loss, one no result

Squad: Travis Head (captain), Jono Dean, Brad Hodge, Jon Holland, Hamish Kingston, Ben Laughlin, Tim Ludeman, Michael Neser, Gary Putland, Adil Rasheed, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Craig Simmons, Kelvin Smith, Billy Stanlake

Suggested bet: Brad Hodge to score the most runs for Adelaide Strikers ($6.50 with CrownBet.com.au)

Our say: The Strikers topped the table last season, but didn’t make it past the semi finals. They will be hoping to go one better this year, but the losses of Botha, Tate and Ten Doeschate hurt. Jayawardene, Hodge, Laughlin and Richardson will be asked to carry much of the load. They don’t look as threatening this year.

Brisbane Heat

Last season: Eighth

Season record: two wins, six losses

Squad: Samuel Badree, Nick Buchanan, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Andrew Fekete, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Peter Forrest, James Hopes, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, Lendl Simmons, James Peirson, Nathan Reardon, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth

Suggested bet: Chris Lynn to hit the most tournament sixes ($7 with sportsbet.com.au)

Our say: Nine new faces come into the Big Bash League 02 champions side and it will be interesting to see how things click. The names aren’t overwhelming, with perhaps Doolan, Simmons and Badree the best of them, so it will be left to the likes of Lynn, Cutting, Burns, Hopes and Forrest to carry the flag.

Hobart Hurricanes

Last season: Fifth

Season record: Three wins, five losses

Squad: Tim Paine (captain), George Bailey, Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Ben Dunk, Michael Hill, Joe Mennie, Dom Michael, Simon Milenko, Sam Rainbird, Jake Reed, Clive Rose, Darren Sammy, Kumar Sangakkara, Shaun Tait, Timm van der Gugten, Beau Webster, Jon Wells

Suggested bet: Hobart Hurricanes to win the Big Bash League 2015/16 ($9 with sportsbet.com.au)

Our say: This is the year. They were heavily fancied last year, but ended up being all show and no substance. It’s time for the Hurricanes to deliver. The likes of Paine, Bailey and Dunk are among the best T20 cricketers in the world and the addition of the brilliant Sangakarra just makes them more dangerous. The $9 looks serious value with Shaun Tait firing down his rockets.

Melbourne Renegades

Last season: Sixth

Season record: Three wins, five losses

Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Tom Beaton, Dwayne Bravo, Tom Cooper, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Chris Gayle, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Nevill (wk), James Pattinson, Nathan Rimmington, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade (wk), Guy Walker, Cameron White, Nick Winter

Suggested bet: Melbourne Renegades to make the top four ($1.53 with sportsbet.com.au)

Our say: Melbourne’s other team has the potential to step out of big brother’s shadow this season. And even if they don’t they are about to roll out the most explosive opening batting pair up in the history of the competition. The Gayle and Finch combination will be worth the price of admission alone. Get around them to join the Stars in the finals, with perhaps an all Melbourne final on the cards.

Melbourne Stars

Last season: Third – lost in semi final

Season record: Five wins, three losses

Squad: David Hussey (captain), Michael Beer, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Evan Gulbis, John Hastings, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell, Kevin Pietersen, Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Triffitt, Daniel Worrall, Luke Wright, Adam Zampa

Suggested bet: Kevin Pietersen to hit a tournament century ($11 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Our say: They make the semi final every year and get bundled out. We reckon it will happen again. The usual suspects in Hussey, Faulkner, Hilfenhaus and the dynamic Pietersen will lead the way, but it just seems endemic in the Melbourne crew to slip up at the penultimate hurdle.

Perth Scorchers

Last season: Second – Premiers

Season record: Five wins, three losses

Squad: Adam Voges (captain), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Michael Carberry, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Marcus Harris, Brad Hogg, Michael Klinger, Simon Mackin, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, James Muirhead, Joel Paris, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Willey, Sam Whiteman

Suggested bet: Shaun Marsh to score the most runs for Perth Scorchers ($4.50 with CrownBet.com.au)

Our say: The Scorchers are the Big Bash League’s yardstick. Every club wants to live up to their standard. Few can. With one of the competition’s most prolific run scorers in Klinger and two much maligned Aussies who just whacked a record Test partnership in Shaun Marsh and Voges, there is no shortage of batting firepower. The likes of Coulter-Nile, Tye, Behrendorff and Agar will carry much of the duties with the rock, along with old man river Hogg. They will be there at the pointy end again.

Sydney Sixers

Last season: Fourth – lost grand final

Season record: Five wins, three losses

Squad: Moises Henriques (captain), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Jackson Bird, Johan Botha, Ryan Carters, Ed Cowan, Ben Dwarshuis, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Lumb, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O’Keefe, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

Suggested bet: Nic Maddinson to make the most runs in the tournament ($17 with WilliamHill.com.au)

Our say: On paper, the Sixers look a dominant outfit with the likes of Smith, Starc and Lyon. But they are as much a hindrance as they are a help, because they will miss large chunks of the tournament on international duties. Smith has already been ruled out of the first two games due to injury and Starc is unlikely to feature due to his injury. They have some serious cattle, but the upheaval might just mean the Sixers miss out this year.

Sydney Thunder

Last season: Seventh

Season record: Two wins, five losses, one no result

Squad: Mike Hussey (c), Ahillen Beadle, Aiden Blizzard, Pat Cummins, Jake Doran, Chris Hartley, Jacques Kallis, Usman Khawaja, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Jonte Pattison, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Andre Russell, Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson

Suggested bet: Gurinder Sandhu to take the most wickets for the Thunder ($3.25 with crownbet.com.au)

Our say: They are the rank outsider in an eight team competition that always throws up surprises. Could the Thunder make the finals at the expense of their Sydney Smash opponents. With Kallis, Hussey, Khawaja, Blizzard, Russell, Sandhu and the X-factor in Watson, they are a real possibility of making it.