Analysis - Brisbane Heat
And they’ll need it – with Harris, Johnson and Watson, three of their 18 is in the Test side. In comes Dan Vettori to potentially spin a web with Nathan Hauritz, and so too does Craig Kieswetter which will beg the question of Brisbane, can he and Chris Hartley play in the same team? There are enough headaches over selection to indicate good depth up north. The versatility of James Hopes and Dan Christian is really handy, they are both good enough to either bat or bowl in their own right. In fact, both have opened the batting and the bowling.
Team success will rely on the individual performances of Luke Pomersbach and Ben Cutting primarily though, and both were fantastic in BBL|02.
Expected Week 1 side:
2. Craig Kieswtter (wk)
3. Joe Burns
4. Dan Christian
5. Chris Lynn
6. Peter Forrest
7. James Hopes (c)
8. Ben Cutting
9. Dan Vettori
10. Nathan Hauritz / Cameron Gannon
11. Alister McDermott
Fantasy Relevant:
With Mitch Johnson, Ryan Harris and Shane Watson all busy with international duty, there’s a pace-bowling spot or two up for grabs. McDermott was very impressive in BBL|02, and given his Ryobi Cup & Shield form, I’m expecting him to repeat it. Make no mistake, Australian honours aren’t far away for the tear-away son-of-a-gun.
CHRISTIAN, Dan – All-Rounder, $101,500
He bats high, he bowls often and he’s a quality fielder. That’s all you can ask of your all-rounders, and he does each component of the game very well. He recently opened the batting for Victoria, and that’s the reason I’ve included him here – if he’s batting anywhere between 1-4 he’s a must, considering his explosiveness.
KIESWETTER, Craig – Wicket-keeper, $32,000
With English international and Somerset keeper Kieswetter being basement priced and available from the get-go, it makes his selection a no-brainer. He opens the batting, which is a massive plus for a fantasy batsman, and averaged 65 (yes 65!) in the most recent English T20 domestic competition.
VETTORI, Dan – Bowler, $72,200
When selecting international players for your side, obviously availability is a major factor. Vettori ticks that box with a full Big Bash ahead. He’s a wily, accurate spinner and a very handy lower-order batsman.
LYNN, Chris – Batsman, $68,600
If you want a real smoky, Lynn is the way to go. He’s in Brisbane’s best XI and his form has been very good, he’s quite a consistent player in all forms. He averaged 35 with the bat in the last Big Bash and has started bowled a lot more since then too.
Where do you think the Heat will finish?
We also conducted an interview with Joe Burns earlier last month.