BBL7 - Melbourne Renegades Season Preview
BBL7 - MELBOURNE RENEGADES SEASON PREVIEW
BBL6 Record - 5th, 4 Wins and 4 Losses
Titles - 0
Semi Finals Appearances - 2/6
Current Squad (Subject to Change) - Dwayne Bravo (WI), Tom Cooper, Aaron Finch (C), Marcus Harris, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi (Afg), Kieron Pollard (WI), Kane Richardson, Matt Short, Chris Tremain, Guy Walker, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth.
Notable Ins : Brad Hodge (Strikers), Kieron Pollard (Strikers), Tim Ludeman (Strikers), Kane Richardson (Strikers), Jack Wildermuth (Heat).
Notable Outs: Peter Nevill (Sixers), Peter Siddle (Strikers), Sunil Narine (Unavailable), Matthew Wade (Hurricanes)
Head Coach - Andrew McDonald
SQUAD BREAKDOWN
OVERSEAS RATING - Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Nabi and Kieron Pollard - The Renegades have an interesting mix of overseas players this year with a franchise favourite as well as two new signings. Veteran West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be keen to make amends for his truncated BBL6 season in the Renegades colours, after he popped a serious hamstring injury early in last year’s BBL and was ruled out for the season. Bravo has played an incredible 364 T20 games, averaging 24 with the bat and taking more than a wicket per game at an average of 23 with the ball. In a big blow for the Renegades, Sunil Narine, their leading wicket-taker last season, has withdrawn from the tournament.
Mohammad Nabi, one of two Afghanistan players to be handed an IPL contract, will join the Renegades’ squad for their first match against Hobart Hurricanes on December 21 and play the majority of their regular season. Nabi is an experienced campaigner in the shortest format despite being unknown on these shores, having claimed 171 wickets from 151 games with his off breaks, at a very good economy rate of 6.88. Nabi will be replaced later in the season by Pollard, who is currently playing the BPL. Pollard had a BBL6 campaign to forget, however there is no reason he can't bounce back this year. He seemed to bat in his shell last year and never got going. Overall Pollard has an incredible T20 record, one short of an astonishing 400 games, averaging 30 with the bat at a strike rate of 151, and with 242 wickets at 23 and an economy rate of 8.09.
BATTING RATING - I love the Renegades’ batting line up. They have firepower, depth and more than one or two quality batsmen. Both Aaron Finch and Cameron White are hugely experienced and proven T20 performers at the top of the order. Both those Victorian stalwarts are outstanding top order T20 players having both played over 200 games and averaging over 30 with the bat. Brad Hodge, despite being axed by the Strikers, is still batting well and will be under less pressure at the Renegades given the quality batting in front of him. Both Dwayne Bravo and Tom Cooper are good middle order players who can be both dynamic and inventive at times. Then you throw someone like Kieron Pollard into the mix late in the tournament and this might just be the most explosive and deepest batting line up in BBL7. They might have a long tail; however the Renegades are a side capable of scoring around the 200 mark if their top order fires.
SPIN BOWLING RATING - The Renegades suffered a big blow on the eve of the tournament, with one of their big assets Sunil Narine pulling out through injury. Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi might be a relative unknown here, however I expect him to do a great holding job, despite not having the same wicket threat that Narine posed. Nabi is a T20 veteran with over 150 games and going at 6.88 per over. Brad Hogg might be 46 years of age, however he is still one of the best spinners in the BBL. It’s remarkable really his longevity, and batsmen still struggle to pick his wrong un, meaning they are often happy to play relatively quietly against him. Hogg has played in every season of the BBL and, in 133 total T20 games, he averages one wicket a game and only goes for 6.88 runs per over.
SEAM BOWLING RATING - This is a unit that got exposed last year and it’s quite possible it could happen again in BBL7. James Pattinson will miss the BBL through injury, so the Renegades will be looking to their two new signings in Kane Richardson and Jack Wildermuth to really provide some greater strike power and control to this unit. Joe Mennie struggled at times last season, but could be relied upon for some overs again this year, given the departure of Peter Siddle. In Richardson and Wildermuth the Renegades have a couple of wicket takers however they also have the ability to get it wrong and go around the park when not at their best or put under pressure at the death.
INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWN
THE GUN - Aaron Finch - The Renegades’ Captain is a brutal player at the top of the order and capable of taking the game away from an opposition. Finch is one of the most dynamic and explosive T20 opening batsmen in the world, with an outstanding record throughout his career. For Australia Finch has played 33 games with an impressive average of 37 and dynamite strike rate of 148. In 2016 Finch was ranked the best T20 batsman in the world and, whilst he hasn't quite scaled those peaks in 2017, he is a formidable proposition at the top of the order. Finch led the Renegades expertly from the front last year, being in the competition’s five leading run scorers, and I wouldn't be backing against him producing the goods again this year, before he most likely departs the BBL to return to the Australia ODI side for their series opener against England on 14 January.
THE SMOKEY - Jake Wildermuth - I have gone for Wildermuth here as I think he is a young player on the rise. I was really impressed by some of his performances for the Heat last season, despite being inconsistent with both bat and ball at times. Wildermuth is starting to become a regular in the Queensland Shield side and has promising stats through 24 games, averaging 27 with the bat and 28 with the ball. He is capable of hitting the ball long and being really dangerous coming in at Number 6 or 7 and, whilst his bowling can be erratic, I think he could prove a wicket taker. Last year he showed glimpses of his talent, but the Renegades will be looking for more than that this season, given they prized him away from the Heat.
THE POTENTIAL FLOP - Marcus Harris - I know Harris did well at times for the Renegades, however I would like to see Cameron White opening the batting with Aaron Finch. Harris averages just 23 from 21 T20 games with the bat at a moderate strike rate of 126. Whilst he can certainly find the boundary, sometimes he can be a little bit predictable as well as chewing up too many dot balls.
THE CIRCUITER - Dwayne Bravo This is an easy one - Dwayne Bravo wins this every year for the Renegades. You can tell by some of Bravo’s celebrations on the field that he likes a night out, and I’m sure he is here just as much for a party, as he is for the cricket. The West Indian would be very familiar with some of Melbourne’s best nightspots and I don’t expect age to be slowing him down this summer.
THE VERDICT AND THE LURKER
THE VERDICT - Top 3 - I like the Renegades to make the finals this season, which will put them in contention for the title. They really bungled things last year as they lost a number of close games, and could have finished with as many as 6 or 7 wins from their 8 games, but ended up winning just 4 from 8 and missing the finals on percentages. I like the addition of Brad Hodge and I think the Renegades’ batting power and depth will carry them a long way in the regular season. The Renegades’ quicks look a bit suspect again this year, however I am expecting them to have more strike power with the additions of Richardson and Wildermuth. There is no doubt Sunil Narine is a loss, but I still think in both Nabi and Hogg and the change ups of Dwayne Bravo, these guys will be well served by their slower bowlers. Even the likes of Tom Cooper and Kieron Pollard later in the tournament give them a plethora of options here. It's really time for this team to step up this year and deliver on the field with such a strong side on paper.
THE LURKER - "This mob has underachieved the last couple of years, choking away a finals spot last year with some dismal seam bowling under pressure. I think they get their act together this year and turn some of those close losses into wins. They’re a lock for the finals and are title contenders."