Following the conclusion of the latest season of the Big Bash, we’ve picked out Wisden’s team of the tournament.
Ben McDermott – Hobart Hurricanes (wk)
577 runs @ 48.08, SR: 153.86
The leading run-scorer in the tournament, the Hurricanes opener hit back-to-back hundreds at the end of December and nearly racked up a third ton of the season against Brisbane Heat in January, falling just seven runs short in an eight-wicket win. Unsurprisingly, his runs have secured him a recall to the Australia set-up for the upcoming T20Is against Sri Lanka.
Matt Short – Adelaide Strikers
493 runs @ 32.86, SR: 155.52
A consistent – and explosive – presence at the top of the order for the Strikers, only McDermott hit more sixes in the tournament than Short, who finished with 26 across 16 innings. He led the way in his side’s Eliminator 22-run win over the Hurricanes, hitting a 48-ball 89.
Mitchell Marsh – Perth Scorchers
347 runs @ 57.83, SR: 142.79
After helping Australia to World Cup glory in the UAE last November, Marsh didn’t let up in the BBL, helping the Scorchers to yet another title. He kicked off his tournament with an unbeaten 60-ball 100 against the Hurricanes and while an Ashes call-up meant he missed a hefty chunk of the tournament, he returned at the back-end with a Player of the Match display against Brisbane Heat.
Glenn Maxwell – Melbourne Stars
468 runs @ 42.54, SR: 159.72
Maxwell endured a run of four consecutive single-figure scores during the tournament but still managed to go big when he got his eye in, delivering a hundred against Sydney Sixers in December before finishing the campaign with an unbeaten 154 against the Hurricanes, the highest score in the history of the tournament.
Ashton Turner – Perth Scorchers
357 runs @ 32.45, SR: 153.87
Turner came to the fore at the latter stages of the tournament, averaging 72 in his last six innings. He led his side to victory over the Sixers in the final and played a key hand at No.5, hitting a 35-ball 54 as he and Laurie Evans shared a match-turning partnership of 104.
Laurie Evans – Perth Scorchers
361 runs @ 40.11, SR: 144.40
In his maiden BBL campaign Evans was the Player of the Match in the final, putting aside a top-order collapse to hit 76 off just 41 deliveries at No.6. A fine season for an Englishman who remains uncapped in international cricket.
Ashton Agar – Perth Scorchers
18 wickets @ 21.88, ER: 6.79 | 133 runs @ 22.16, SR: 149.43
Rashid Khan was the only spinner in the tournament to take more wickets, with Agar choking up the scoring too with his left-arm spin. He was more than handy with the bat too, contributing some useful lower-order cameos.
Hayden Kerr – Sydney Sixers
25 wickets @ 15, ER: 7.5
Left-arm quick Kerr finished as the Sixers’ leading wicket-taker in their run to the final of the competition and enjoyed an extraordinary promotion from No.8 to the top of the order against the Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger match, hitting an unbeaten 98 to see his side to the final.
Rashid Khan – Adelaide Strikers
20 wickets @ 13.95, ER: 6.34
Typically brilliant for the Strikers once again, the Afghanistan leg-spinner was the fourth highest wicket-taker in the tournament and miserly too.
Peter Siddle – Adelaide Strikers
30 wickets @ 17.73, ER: 8.33
The former Australia quick has built his reputation in first-class cricket but made hay with the white ball this season, finishing comfortably as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament – more than a quarter of his T20 wickets were taken across 17 BBL appearances this season.
AJ Tye – Perth Scorchers
25 wickets @ 16.96, ER: 8.07
Tye finished as his side’s highest wicket-taker and the scalps kept on coming right till the end – he finished with standout figures of 3-15 in the final win over the Sixers.
