BBL 10: Hobart Hurricanes Team Preview, Squad And Fantasy Cheat Sheet For Big Bash League 2020-21 Season
A profound look into the signings, team news and players availability of the Hobart Hurricanes for the 2020 Big Bash League (BBL 10) along with a fantasy cheat sheet providing the fantasy potential of the Hobart Hurricanes players.
Coach: A Griffith
Captain: M Wade, P Handscomb (Stand-in)
BBL 09 Finish: Eliminator Loss
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Off-Season Signings/Trades:
Hobart Hurricanes haven’t lifted the BBL trophy even once in its 9 years of existence. They came close twice in 2013 and 2017 only to end up as the second-best and after another playoffs exit last season, Hurricanes went on a signing spree acquiring the likes of D Malan, C Ingram, W Jacks, S Lamichhane, K Paul, P Handscomb in the addition to some local players. While C Ingram and D Malan come as a package, the young W Jacks will be available for the full tournament and will provide cover for M Wade who will be occupied with the Test team for the majority of the season. S Lamichhane is a nice upgrade on Q Ahmad and Keemo Paul, the young upcoming West-Indian all-rounder will make a cameo appearance during the season. P Handscomb is the standout among the local signings with the wicket-keeper batsman being named as the stand-in captain in the absence of M Wade. The major surprise was the signing of J Botha who comes out of retirement after being involved in some coaching gigs in the last couple of years to provide them with a spin option until Lamichhane arrives. Overall, the Hurricanes have done decently well with the signings this year with some quality local and overseas additions.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Talking Points:
How will Hurricanes cope with an almost bare spin cupboard?
While the Hurricanes have done well with the signings to strengthen their batting unit, the same cannot be said for their spin bowling attack which is almost empty except for S Lamichhane. While Sandeep is good enough to hold his spot for the whole tournament, his entry has been delayed due to him being tested positive for COVID. With the absence of reliable back-up options, Hurricanes have desperately called back J Botha from retirement. He’s the one most likely to start the tournament with the 18-year old leggie W Parker being the only other option. While Sandeep is due to arrive by early January whether J Botha can sustain it till then remains a question.
The middle-overs slowdown
In 2019, Hobart Hurricanes batting unit registered the second-worst numbers through the middle overs (7 to 16) scoring at 7.03 RPO with a meagre average of 20.19 only behind Brisbane Heat. D’Arcy Short and B McDermott aren’t great players of spin and barely takes any risks against them. Among their latest signings, only Handscomb is a decent player of spin but he doesn’t possess the power game that is needed to crack T20s. This issue would’ve been manageable with the normal playing conditions but the recent introduction of the Bash Boost concept will force batsmen to accelerate against the spinners in the middle-overs which might result in a collapse.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Cash Cows
D Short – No one has scored as many runs as D’Arcy Short has scored in the Big Bash since his debut in 2016. The left-handed batsman is a consistent run-getter at the top for the Hurricanes and his left-arm leg-spin bowling will be used a lot more frequently than the previous seasons due to the lack of spin options in the squad.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Value For Money
B McDermott – In 2016, B McDermott announced himself to the world with a power-packed 52 ball 114 against Renegades in just the 6th match of his BBL career. But all those initial promises haven’t been converted into performances with him trying to crack a tough middle-order role to warrant an Australian team selection. But he’s now all set to bat at No.3 this season, a natural position for him which should boost his fantasy value along with his wicket-keeping skills.
The night Ben McDermott made his name!
His blistering century is No.11 in our @BBL #20in2020 countdown: https://t.co/PQmRqn1r0i pic.twitter.com/JRfuxs90tj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 18, 2020
D Malan – The things that D Malan has been pulling off recently has been incredible. He’s the No.1 ranked T20I player in the world and is in the form of his life after a splendid South-Africa series where he topped the run charts once again. The only thing that is a concern is him missing the first three games for the Hurricanes but still expect him to make it up for it.
R Meredith – The tall Tasmanian pacer’s last year stint with the Hurricanes was cut short due to a side strain he endured during the season. He was quite effective during that short period picking 10 wickets from 6 matches at a good economy rate of 6.68 troubling batsmen with his hostile pace and bounce. Even though he had a bad Shield season, expect him to be amongst the wickets this season.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Risky Ones
J Faulkner – He’s certainly not the player who dominated the IPL with his all-round performances and who won the Man-of-the-Match award in the 2015 WC Final. The left-arm seamer remains a pale shadow of his self and is even struggling to get into his state side.
P Handscomb – With McDermott announcing his intentions to bat at the No.3 position publicly and the presence of D Malan at the No.4 spot, Handscomb is likely to bat in a spot which doesn’t suit his game and he doesn’t even have the wicket-keeping cushion to warrant a fantasy selection.
S Lamichhane – There’s a high chance that he might miss most of the first half after he tested positive for COVID which has delayed his arrival to early January. Otherwise, he’s a great option as he showcased in the recent CPL.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Differential Picks
N Ellis – He can swing the new ball, hit the hard lengths, produces reverse with his yorkers and has a good slower one which makes him capable of bowling at any phase of the game. Griffith indicated that he would be used sparingly in the Powerplay and middle-overs with a bulk of his overs reserved for the Power Surge and death where wickets are available for cheap.
Plenty more Nathan Ellis toe-crushers coming for the @hurricanesBBL in #BBL10
pic.twitter.com/0I3HDKtQD2
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) September 25, 2020
Will Jacks – The young Surrey batsman remains the only guy to score a hundred in a T10 game and he’s all set to open the batting for the Hurricanes in the absence of M Wade who will miss the bulk of the tournament. Jacks is a tall young lad who uses his long levers to perfection and his off-spin will come handy in a spin deprived Canes bowling attack.
Macalister Wright – He scored two back-to-back fifties for the Canes right at the end of the season last year after getting promoted to the top of the order. While there’s no vacancy at the top this year with the likes of McDermott, Malan, Jacks and Ingram all being top-order bats, he’ll be the most preferred domestic batsman and can provide some crucial runs from the lower middle order.
ALSO READ: Sydney Sixers fantasy cheat sheet and team preview
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Bargain Buys
M Wade and C Ingram – There’s not much fantasy potential here with these two players reduced availability. While Wade will only be available after the test duties get over, Ingram has signed a contract only for the first 4 games.
S Boland – He’s a sure-starter for the Hurricanes for the whole tournament but is limited in the way that he’s effective only in the PowerPlay with his outswingers.
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL 10) – Cheapies
The likes of Will Parker, K Paul and J Botha will surely get their chances at some point in the tournament and are easier to acquire due to their credentials.