We launch into brand spanking new BBL season with the Sydney Sixers looking to become the first team to ever win a three-peat of BBL titles.
The BetDeluxe crew has opened up the batting with a big team-by-team season preview in a bid to find the winner for BBL 11.
Sydney Sixers
Let us start with the reigning champions.
The Sydney Sixers have defied all before them in the last two seasons of the BBL to take home the trophy.
What has been amazing in that time up the top of the competition, is the Sixers ability to rotate and continually refresh the squad.
Opening batsman Josh Philippe proved a massive reason why the Sixers were able to defend their crown after having a career best campaign with the willow in hand.
It is going to be super tough to make a case against this team with injuries being the only factor that could stop them.
Predicted finish: Winners
Perth Scorchers
Arguably the most entertaining team in the competition.
The Perth Scorchers almost always find themselves up the top of the table having won the BBL tournament three times since its inception.
Last year left a bitter taste in the mouth after falling short to the Sixers in the grand final.
The Scorchers have added to their bowling attack in the off-season with the signing of England fast bowler Tymal Mills.
He is sure to provide an edge with the white ball and will cause headaches for opening batsmen across the league.
There seems to also be some refreshed life about the Scorchers with a new skipper in Ashton Turner now taking charge of the team.
They have also secured the talents of Colin Munro for another season after his swashbuckling efforts with the bat in BBL 10.
With the talent on their roster, they can definitely go one better than last year and we might very well be on for another Scorchers versus Sixers grand final.
Predicted finish: Second
Melbourne Stars
You will struggle to find more of an enigma in the BBL than the Melbourne Stars.
A squad full of batting and bowling talent that has fallen short of the grand prize on three occasions.
The Stars have definitely usurped the Renegades as the best team in Melbourne in recent seasons, but has still failed to find that elusive BBL title.
Signing Sam Whiteman from the Perth Scorchers might just be the grand-final winning experience the Stars need in order to take the next step.
Glen Maxwell, colloquially known as ‘The Big Show’ in T20 circles, will captain the Stars with Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa the other Australian international stars to appear this season.
If they can get a heap out of Maxwell and Stoinis, should they not be jaded from the T20 World Cup win, it is going to go a long way to the Stars trying to rectify past heartbreak.
Predicted finish: Third
hobart hurriances
The Hobart Hurricanes are out to collect their first ever BBL trophy when their season commences next week against the Sydney Sixers.
It has a been topsy turvy trip for the Hurricans in recent years as they look to put past grievances behind them and put the focus on trying to create their own history.
Fast bowler Nathan Ellis will be on the scene in the purple shirt again as will T20 World Cup saviour Matthew Wade.
Wade has been a pillar of the Hurricanes squad and his experience with gloves and bat will prove pivotal in how the Hurricanes fare this year.
The main issue for the Hurricanes is losing a host of internationally recognised players in the off-season.
Wade and Ellis will give the Hurricanes the ‘wow’ factor you need to win the BBL competition, but it seems to get pretty thin after that.
Predicted finish: Sixth
sydney thunder
The Sydney Thunder have definitely had their thunder stolen from them by cross-town rivals the Sixers.
The Thunder showed good improvement to finish in the finals last season, but were blasted out in the knockout phase.
Finding another avenue for wickets is something the organisation has clearly put time and thought into.
Pace ace Gurinder Sandhu has returned to the Thunder after putting pen to paper.
It looks as though it will be another season where the Thunder will be around the finals mark, but just do not have that ‘x-factor’ to be able to win their first title since BBL 5.
Predicted finish: Fourth
Brisbane heat
Brisbane Heat looks your classical team full of talent, but lacking the substance to do any damage to opposition on a consistent basis.
Captain Chris Lynn has failed to replicate the T20 form he showed a handful of season ago which made him one of the best short-form batsmen in the world.
It might be the burden of captaincy that has weighed down on him, but if he can somehow rekindle the fire and become the consistent big-hitter that had fans up out of their seats, then the Heat can make inroads this season.
Ben Duckett is going to provide great support for the Heat batting order after a successful stint over in England, while Tom Abell has been brought in to ‘mange the middle overs and back end’ as quoted by coach Wade Seccombe on the Cricket Australia website.
Predicted finish: Fifth
Adelaide Strikers
After sneaking its way into the finals last season, Adelaide quests to elevate to into the pointy end of the BBL competition under the guidance of coach Jason Gillespie.
The Strikers have been a stalwart of the competition and will be led by Travis Head who takes the captaincy into BBL 11.
There are some problem areas for the Strikers, though, and they will need to be flattened out if they are to ignite the flame that saw them win BBL 7.
Head might very well be locked into an Ashes spot this summer and that will leave a big responsibility on the shoulders of Jake Weatherald.
Alex Carey is also in line for a test call-up with Tim Paine being removed from the squad.
Bowling and finding wickets will not be a concern with Peter Siddle and Wes Agar firing down the pitch alongside gun spinner Rashid Khan.
Predicted finish: Eighth
Melbourne renegades
Time for change.
That is clearly the motto the Melbourne Renegades have taken into BBL 11.
David Saker is the new coach, Nic Maddison is the new captain and Indian T20 gun Unmukt Chand will all play part in the Renegades attempt to climb back up the ladder.
Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh will be the two old heads at the top of the order who will be relied upon to the set the tone with the bat.
Finch, as we have seen recently, especially in BBL 10, is very hot and cold.
He and Marsh are in the twilight of their career and relying too heavily on the two to make the runs might spell disaster again this season.
There will definitely be an elevation on what the Renegades dished up last year, but it is tough to gauge whether or not that will be enough to make a significant climb up the table.
Predicted finish: Last
