Starting on New Year’s Eve, three rounds of the season — round 6 to 8 — have been jam-packed into nine days, and thinking ahead will be crucial in ensuring your side gets the edge.Fortunately there aren’t too many doubles and blank rounds to worry about.All teams play once in round 6 and round 7, while the Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes both play twice in round 8. These single game rounds separate the best from the rest with no get out of jail cards, just good old fashioned 1v1. Here are the best options for this middle stretch of the season.Matt Short (Strikers) BAT-BWLMany teams will be trading Short out for his round 5 bye and then trading him straight back in the next round – and if you don’t get him back, it’s a big risk. Often opening the batting and the bowling, Short has amassed single-round scores of 119 and 102, which makes him right in the frame for captaincy honours for round 6 and 7 when all teams play once. If he hasn’t been scoring runs, Short’s been taking wickets in the powerplay, with the latter score a result of his 3/14 from three overs. The Strikers also play twice in round 9 which means you can afford to hold him all the way through. Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) BAT-BWLBowling tight spells, taking wickets and aggressive batting at No. 4; Khan is KFC SuperCoach BBL personified. His incredible role makes him extremely valuable for the round 6 and 7 single game rounds and close to a captaincy lock for their round 8 double. And fortunately his round 5 bye will ensure his price doesn’t skyrocket even more after his stunning 111 against the Renegades. Daniel Sams (Thunder) BAT-BWLSydney Thunder all-rounder Sams has been one of the most reliable KFC SuperCoach selections of the past three seasons. Sams opened BBL12 with scores of 66, 62 (when his team was routed for 15), 80 and 38. Last summer, he only scored less than 41 points twice, an indication of his quality and consistency in KFC SuperCoach. Sams has more talent with the bat than he has shown so far this tournament, amassing 191 runs at a strike rate of 161 last season. The sacking of fellow quick Fazalhaq Farooqi all but guarantees him the death overs where most KFC SuperCoach points are scored. A must-have for rounds 6 and 7. Hayden Kerr (Sixers) BAT-BWLHe won’t come cheap, but Kerr looks a must for KFC SuperCoach sides. Kerr, the second-leading wicket taker in the BBL last season, has added quickfire batting at the death to his repertoire, highlighted by knocks of 42 (34 balls) and 30* (20). This coupled with his consistent scalps with the ball make him a reliable option for the single games and a captaincy pick for the round 8 double. and ceiling makes him a good option for round 6 and 7 before he plays twice in round 8. Josh Philippe (Sixers) WKP-BATMost would already have Philippe in their team for the Sixers’ round 5 double but if you don’t nab him before then, he should be worth the investment. A modest start to the season has seen his price plummet, and anything below $140k for a player of Philippe’s quality is a steal – especially when he plays four games from round 6-8. Sean Abbott (Sixers) BWLLike Philippe, Abbott is underpriced and is worth bringing in before round 5. But you are likely to get him even cheaper after the Sixers’ round 5 double. After his impressive 86 to start the season, Abbott produced three solid scores but it still sent his price soaring south. His high floor Paddy Dooley (Hurricanes) BWLCan we justify picking a player at more than double his starting price? On form, definitely. Dooley has gone at less than seven runs per over in his first four matches of BBL12 while taking nine wickets, including a stunning 4/16 against the Scorchers. The Canes’ round 8 double adds to the appeal and there is no reason why you can’t jump on before then. Riley Meredith (Hurricanes) BWLIf you already have one eye on the round 8 double, you will know that Hobart Hurricanes play twice in a round for the first time in BBL12. That’s why starting to add Hurricanes to your team now can help give you an edge. Meredith’s value is on the rise after a score of 108 KFC SuperCoach points when he took 3-12 from four overs against the Renegades in Round 4. That caused his price to jump by about $5k, but the biggest rise will come over the next two rounds. If you want Meredith for Round 8, it’s wise to get on now and save yourself some money.Beau Webster (Stars) BWLThe rookie-priced revelation of BBL12, Webster was the only player to pickup an extra position in the round 5 DPP updates. He had BWL status added after becoming an important part of the Melbourne Stars’ bowling line-up due to Marcus Stoinis struggling with illness and then being unavailable for round 4. Webster has had a dream role for KFC SuperCoach batting regularly in the top-four and bowling at important times. If you got him at $62k at the start of BBL12 you got an absolute bargain – now it’s just whether the rest of us can swallow humble pie and be prepared to pay up. He looks worth the premium price tag.D’Arcy Short (Hurricanes) BAT-BWLMaybe we’re being a bit nostalgic here, but a KFC SuperCoach favourite at a price not seen since 2016-17 seems too good to be true. Short hasn’t come close to the heights he produced in 2019-20, when his KFC SuperCoach price eclipsed $300k. That is partly due to not bowling (Shadab Khan and Paddy Dooley have taken the spin overs). Short only averaged 37 last year and his strike rate dipped to 113. And although he hasn’t rediscovered top gear yet in BBL12, with a Round 8 double looming, he could be a cheaper option you jump to get ahead of other coaches. He’s likely to be popular in the round 8 double anyway but if he fires in round 6 and 7 you’ll be thankful you jumped on earlier than others. Joel Davies (Thunder) BAT-BWLThe younger brother of hard-hitting batsman Ollie Davies was a post-Christmas addition to the Sydney Thunder squad. At a starting price of $42k, Davies presents a great mid-season downgrade and has been tipped to feature for the Thunder during the run home. At the under-19 national carnival he peeled off scores of 50, 68, 55no, 185no (from 124 balls) and 100 to help NSW Metro to the title. He also took wickets across four games and bowls left-arm orthodox. If you thought Ollie was a talent, his younger brother might be even better. He’s a player KFC SuperCoach teams will be talking about for years to come, not just in BBL12.
Share This Post
