da bet esporte： A closer look at how Perth Scorchers, Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes have built up to the 2017-18 season of the BBL

da betobet： Alex Malcolm17-Dec-20171:42

The Perth Scorchers tell us why they’re so good

Perth ScorchersWhat you need to knowLast year’s champions, and the league’s most successful franchise with three titles from six editions, have a very similar squad to last season. But Justin Langer’s group faces some challenges on a number of fronts. Firstly, the top order has been compromised by national service for the first half of the tournament at least. Shaun Marsh, Cameron Bancroft and Mitchell Marsh would all ordinarily occupy roles in the top six and Bancroft would likely keep wicket due to the long-term injury to Sam Whiteman, who also filled an important opening role in the final last season.Ian Bell hasn’t returned and the Scorchers will need to experiment around their veteran opener Michael Klinger. Josh Inglis will take the gloves and has the talent and temperament to open but he is set to be shifted around the order depending on the needs of the side. England International David Willey is a viable option while the Test matches are still going. He opened the batting to great effect in the Scorchers’ practice match at Optus Stadium against the England Lions and has had great success in the role for Northants prior to moving to Yorkshire. He will also form part of a formidable attack if all are fit and firing.But question marks surround the fitness of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff, who opened the bowling together in Australia’s last T20I. Coulter-Nile is edging closer to a return from a hot spot in his back but Behrendorff is still resting a similar injury and his return date is unknown.Key playerKlinger remains the key man for the Scorchers. Their attack, no matter the composition, will always be able to blow away top orders, particularly at the WACA. But Klinger’s skill and adaptability on all surfaces, both setting totals and chasing, is pivotal to the Scorchers’ ability to compile winning scores.ChancesThe Scorchers are likely to be right there at the business end again. They have never finished worse than third and have made the final in five out of six seasons. They are so hard to beat at the WACA and should find enough away wins to qualify for the knockouts. They have the experience and the talent to go back-to-back.ESPNcricinfo LtdBrisbane HeatWhat you need to knowThe Heat were the surprise packet of last year’s tournament and went within a Super Over of playing the final. Brendon McCullum is a proven winner and he is sure to sprinkle some of his magic over the Heat again after winning the Bangladesh Premier League only a week ago playing for the Rangpur Riders alongside Chris Gayle.McCullum is in good nick as well, coming off 78 in the semi-final and 51 not out in the final. He and Chris Lynn form the backbone of the batting. Lynn appears healthy after forgoing first-class cricket to rehabilitate his long-term shoulder injury. He is learning to throw with his opposite arm to reduce risk of further damage. The danger for the Heat is that if the “Bash Brothers” misfire on the same night, the batting depth isn’t quite as potent as some of the other line-ups.There has been a shift in philosophy from a bowling perspective. Coach Daniel Vettori clearly sees value in legspin at the Gabba and in the BBL in general, adding the young Pakistan wristspinner Shadab Khan to the roster alongside the highly regarded Queensland youngster Mitchell Swepson. They have also signed the experienced Test legspinner Yasir Shah as a replacement player for Shadab, who is likely to be called up to Pakistan’s limited-overs squads for their January tour of New Zealand.Key playerInstinctively it would be Lynn who holds the key to the Heat’s chances but McCullum’s value goes beyond just his power-hitting. His leadership and tactical nous are two intangibles for this team as they were when he led New Zealand in international cricket. He has an incredible knack of getting the very best out of his players and his group as a collective. He reads the game as well as, if not better than, any other captain in the tournament. Good captaincy in T20 cricket can have a greater impact than in almost any other format although more luck is probably required than the longer forms of the game.ChancesThe Heat have won the tournament previously, coming from fourth to beat the Scorchers at the WACA in the 2012-13 final. But outside of last year’s semi-final heartbreak they have not had a major impact in the other four editions. On paper the squad does not look as strong as others, but McCullum and Vettori bring experience in getting their teams to punch above their weight.Getty ImagesAdelaide StrikersWhat you need to knowJason Gillespie and the Strikers management have opted for a complete overhaul of their squad and the result is they have a lot of young talent but not a lot of experience. They have lost their two highest run-scorers from last season in Ben Dunk and Brad Hodge, and signed Jonathan Wells (Hurricanes) and the South African Colin Ingram in their place.The bulk of the run-scoring will need to be done by the South Australian trio of Travis Head, Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey. Weatherald and Carey provided a lethal combination for the Redbacks in the JLT One-Day Cup, Australia’s domestic 50-over competition, but the BBL is a different beast. Carey is not as experienced in T20 batting but has the talent to be a replacement for Dunk.Peter Siddle brings some experience with the ball, while the speed of Billy Stanlake and the smarts of Ben Laughlin and Michael Neser give the Strikers the basis of a good attack at the Adelaide Oval. The Afghanistan wristspinner Rashid Khan could be an X-factor. Adil Rashid and Ish Sodhi have both bowled well previously for the Strikers. Rashid and the young West Australian legspinner Liam O’Connor will have roles to play.Key playerWeatherald needs to have a tournament like Ben Dunk did last season and he’s capable of doing it. He is powerful stroke-maker off both feet but also has developed his batting craft in all formats. The left-hander has been in red-hot form in domestic cricket this season and a big tournament would not only give the Strikers a chance, but also put him right in the frame to play for Australia.ChancesOn paper the Strikers look like one of the weaker squads in the BBL mainly due to inexperience rather than lack of talent. The BBL winners in previous seasons have proven that experience counts for a great deal in the big moments. They will need some of their young talent to step up to avoid this season being a development year.Getty ImagesHobart HurricanesWhat you need to knowThe Hurricanes have not made the BBL final since the 2013-14 season but Tasmanian cricket has made some big changes during the winter, one of which was to acquire Gary Kirsten as the new coach. The Hurricanes have assembled a unique squad that has produced some impressive results during the warm-up matches.The loss of Tim Paine to Test-match duty forced a late trade with the Renegades for wicketkeeper Matthew Wade. But Paine’s dual role as an opener also requires filling. The addition of Alex Doolan has almost gone unnoticed given his relatively poor T20 record, but he enters the tournament in good form having put together two quick-fire 50-plus opening stands with D’Arcy Short in the practice matches.George Bailey, Matthew Wade, Ben McDermott and Daniel Christian look like a solid and versatile middle-order combination. They appear to be thin on power-hitting in the lower order, but what they lack in pyrotechnics with the bat they more than make up for with electric pace with the ball.Tymal Mills, Jofra Archer and Aaron Summers can all crank it up to above 140kph and they made a mess of the Stars top order in the last practice match. Cameron Boyce’s legspin, Clive Rose’s left-arm orthodox and Short’s left-arm wristspin also give the attack good variety.Key playerD’Arcy Short turned heads last season with a couple of scintillating displays out of the blue. He could be a match-winner for the Hurricanes. He is an unorthodox left-hander who stays leg-side of the ball and hits powerfully through and over the off side and he’s an excellent player against pace and short-pitched bowling. But with some maturity has come some craft and he now knows how to slip up and down the gears depending on the situation. His left-arm wristspin is also a handy asset for George Bailey.ChancesNot many will look at the Hurricanes on paper and see a tournament contender but on evidence of their performances in the practice matches they look a force to be reckoned with after handling the Sixers and Stars with ease. The only weak spot is batting depth but their attack could win games on their own. They will be a great team to watch this tournament.