2023/24 GameDay Squad AUS Cricket Team Preview: The Hurricanes just missed out on the finals in BBL12 as they had the same number of wins as the Heat but their NRR wasn’t as good. I do think they have the squad that might be able to get them to the finals for BBL13. Over the history of the BBL, the Hurricanes are one of two teams that haven’t won a championship. They have made six trips to the finals, four of these trips have been in the last six seasons. They have played 135 games, won 64, lost 69 and had 2 no result.
This year the Hurricanes go into the BBL13 with seven new faces, and they are Peter Hatzoglou, Chris Jordan, Sam Hain, Corey Anderson, Sam Hazlett, Nikhil Chaudhary and Liam Guthrie. We have seen the number of matches in the round robin decrease from fourteen to ten for each team this season. For the Hurricanes to reach the finals, I believe the magic number of wins will need to be five. I think the Hurricanes will either just make it into the finals or just miss out. They have a decent squad but if their top order struggles, they might find themselves in some trouble as it doesn’t look like they bat as deep as some other teams. McDermott will need to put his disappointing BBL12 behind him and lead the way with the bat if the Hurricanes are to make the finals. They have good wicket taking bowlers that will trouble all teams and if the Hurricanes can put it all together, they may run deep into the finals. What they really need to do is be able to win outside of Tasmania. They had one of the best home records out of any team in BBL12 and won six of their seven home matches. However, they were unable to win any matches outside of Tasmania.
The Hurricanes open their season against the Sixers on Monday the 11th of December at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston. At this stage it looks like the Hurricanes will be at full strength for their opening clash. The Hurricanes played in Launceston twice in BBL12 and they won both games. They will be hoping to keep this winning streak going and get off to a great start for BBL13.
Squad (Averages and position rank for BBL12 included)
Caleb Jewell – Batter Avg 38, Rank 10
Macalister Wright – Batter Avg 87, Rank 1
Ben McDermott – Batter, Avg 23, Rank 23
Sam Hain – Batter, Avg 26 Rank 20
Tim David – All-rounder, Avg 40, Rank 9
Corey Anderson – All-rounder (Did not play in BBL12)
Matthew Wade – Wicketkeeper Avg 39, Rank 4
Nathan Ellis – Bowler, Avg 42, Rank 12
Mitchell Owen – Bowler, Avg 13, Rank 35
Riley Meredith – Bowler, Avg 39, Rank 18
Peter Hatzoglou – Bowler, Avg 23, Rank 31
Billy Stanlake – Bowler (Did not play in BBL12)
Iain Carlise– Bowler (Did not play in BBL12)
Chris Jordan – Bowler, Avg 31, Rank 24
Patrick Dooley – Bowler, Avg 52, Rank 2
BBL12 stats from matches played at the Bellerive Oval.
· Five games played; Hurricanes lost four of them.
· Team winning the toss won four matches.
· Chasing team won three matches.
· Average first innings score of 149 (lowest 122 / highest 180)
· Batter GDS average 29 points per match
· All-rounder GDS average 40 points per match
· Bowler GDS average 40 points per match
· Wicketkeeper GDS average 23 points per match
· 69 wickets taken by bowlers, 50 to seam and 19 to spin
Player To Watch – Ben McDermott (Batter)
McDermott had a BBL12 to forget and only averaged sixteen runs with the bat. In his twelve innings he scored two fifties and had six scores of less than ten runs, including three ducks. These performances were a far cry from what fantasy coaches would have wanted but I believe he can bounce back. He has played 86 BBL matches and averages 33 with the bat. McDermott is the only player ever to score three BBL centuries and he has scored the tenth most runs in BBL history. McDermott is currently playing for Queensland in the 2023/24 Marsh Cup (Australia’s domestic 50 over competition) where he is averaging 85 runs with his highest scores being 143 vs Tasmania and 86 vs Victoria. I believe McDermott is a great talent and can be a real asset for coaches in GDS. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see him return to the BBL form he showed a few seasons back.
Most Valuable Player – Patrick Dooley (Bowler)
Dooley is rather inexperienced in the BBL and has only played eleven matches. Ten of these matches were in BBL12 and he took 19 wickets at a strike rate of 12.95. His efforts had him ranked as the second best bowler in the entire BBL with an average of 52 points in GDS. However, thirteen of these wickets came in the five matches that were played in Tasmania. In these home matches, he averaged 66 points in GDS. Dooley finished among the top three bowlers in six of his ten matches in BBL12 and four of these matches were in Tasmania. He bowled his four overs in eight of his ten matches and when selecting bowlers, this is what we like to see. The big question is, can he repeat his strong showing from BBL12 in BBL13! I think he can, and he is a must start for me in games that are played in Tasmania. There isn’t any reason why his home form can’t carry over to away matches. I would like to see one performance outside of Tasmania before I select him for my starting XI when the Hurricanes play away.
Biggest Bust Candidate - Corey Anderson (All-Rounder)
Anderson is a former Black Cap but has been applying his trade in T20s over recent years. I believe a key part in selecting an all-rounder for your starting XI, is to select all-rounders that bowl a minimum of three overs frequently. Anderson will more than likely not bowl any more than a couple of overs if at all. He has been brought into the Hurricanes as their innings closer with the bat and will likely be coming in at six in the batting order. If this comes to fruition and I think it will, Anderson will be a very risky option every game and is my biggest bust candidate.
Predicted Starting XI
1. Caleb Jewell
2. Ben McDermott
3. Matthew Wade
4. Sam Hain
5. Tim David
6. Corey Anderson
7. Chris Jordan
8. Nathan Ellis
9. Patrick Dooley
10. Riley Meredith
11. Peter Hatzoglou
