There are two main types of bowlers to predominantly look at when picking your SuperCoach squad.

The first are each team’s specialist spinners, in particular leg-spinners as they can challenge both edges of the bat.

The second are the guys who bowl at important stages of the innings such as the death overs and in the powerplay.

These guys regularly bowl four overs and are more likely to pick up wickets and an economy rate bonus.

Another small factor when looking at a player is the quality of team they are in, especially their batting power.

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Even the best bowlers need a target to defend when bowling second. The better teams regularly put up good totals which means opposition batsman will need to take more risks chasing that total and give the death overs bowlers a chance to pick up wickets in the last few overs.

Whilst the economy rate can go up for death bowlers and not score as many points from economy at times, the 20 points per wicket and 10 bonus points for every three wickets certainly make up for it.

It’s also worth considering those death overs bowlers who are good at that aspect of the game, nailing their change up deliveries at the right time.

The new Sixers signing Chris Jordan (148.4k) is an example of this as he excels at bowling yorkers at the death.

He also has a good slower ball and at times can be difficult for batsman to hit which can mean wicket taking opportunities.

Jordan will be available for the first five games and should be strongly considered for the Round 1 double.

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He’s already had two stints in the BBL, most recently in 2019 with the Scorchers where he took 15 wickets, so that experience in the BBL will also help.

Jordan could also negatively impact the role of Dan Christian ,and with Ben Dwarshius under an injury cloud, I’ve opted to pick Jordan over those two and being $35k cheaper than them is also nice.

He is also an outstanding fielder and often fields in the hot zones, so he’s always a chance at some bonus fielding points.

Ben Dwarshius ($181.7k) loomed as a nice option who can bowl at the death, swing the new ball and is coming off a strong BBL10.

However, under an injury cloud he’s too risky even if named for Round 1.

Also given the likes of Jordan, Tom Curran and potentially Dan Christian can bowl at the death, his role might not be as good as last season. Sean Abbott is also to come back into that team.

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Nathan Ellis ($157.1k) is an example of a bowler who can execute his yorkers at the death, however he likes to bowl wide yorkers instead which obviously takes a couple of modes of dismissal away for him at times which can be frustrating for Supercoach purposes.

However he did still improve in his second season taking his debut season average of 39.5 up to 50.3 in 2020/21, and if he can improve again he could be an option for his Round 6 double.

He’s an interesting one to watch throughout the opening rounds but is too awkwardly priced to warrant starting with.

Having a number of bowling variations, especially at the death, can be a real asset and not many have more variations than Andrew Tye ($133.8k).

Tye took 21 wickets last season with two or more wickets in half of his games, but his average of 42.8 can be slightly misleading as that was lowered thanks to two rain affected games where he only bowled 1 over and 0 overs in those and scored poorly as a result.

He also missed the entire BBL09 with a severe elbow injury so it took him a couple of games to get back in the swing of things.

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He is reasonably priced for the skill he has and I think he can improve on that average this season.

He averaged 52.1 in BBL08, but that average may also be lower than it appears on face value as he only bowled his four overs in a game on six occasions that season but still took 17 wickets.

These averages might not accurately reflect the ability of Tye as he is a genuine wicket-taker and will now have added responsibility with the ball with Jhye Richardson on Australian duties and injuries to others.

Currently in 7% of teams, he could be a slightly under-priced POD to start with, but he’s definitely one to keep in mind when looking at the Scorchers Round 4 DGW.

He also plays the Heat and Strikers in the first two rounds who will have depleted lineups, so he has the potential to start well.

He’s in good form in the Marsh Cup too where he is currently the leading wicket-taker.

Death bowlers aren’t the only ones to look at though as spinners do quite well in T20s these days, especially leg-spinners evidenced by the current top five ranked T20 bowlers in the world all being leggies.

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One of those is Strikers player Rashid Khan ($198.7k). Simply put, he is a must-have.

The question is can you afford him at the price from Round 1 given other expensive options are available on double or do you just trade a Heat or Sixers player to him in Round 2 for the Strikers DGW? He is currently 45% owned.

Despite the Strikers having a bye in Round 3, a viable strategy is to plan to hold Khan on the bench through his bye as you will want him for the remainder of the season and it could get tricky having to trade him out then back in, especially when looking to bring in other upcoming DGW premium options.

He is incredibly consistent with averages of 63.6, 67.2 and 70.6 in his past three seasons with an average of 71.5 at his home ground of Adelaide Oval in that time.

He very rarely scores under 40 with only four scores under 40 in the past three seasons.

One of those was a washed out game, but interestingly the other three came against the Hurricanes, as well as Khan only averaging 37 and 36.7 at both Tasmanian venues.

He only plays in Tasmania once this season though which happens to be on the Hurricanes DGW in Round 6 which could line up nicely when looking at Hurricanes batsman for that round.

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Another Afghan spinner that should be considered for Round 1 is Mujeeb Ur Rahman ($208.2k).

He’s coming off a very successful stint in BBL10 where he averaged 66.6 in eight games, picking up 14 wickets at an economy under 7 which included a 5/15 against the Hurricanes.

A typically economical bowler, the 20-year-old seems to gain more wicket-taking ability with each year of cricket under his belt as he continues to develop his craft.

He had the best economy of any bowler last season as well as averaging 12.5 economy points per game, also he had the bestaverage of any bowler. He had 75 dot balls too which all help accumulate points on top of wickets.

He’s currently 18% owned, which is lower than I expected, but the high price might have people looking for more value. Given the lack of good Heat bowling options for Round 1, I think he is worth the price and potentially a captaincy option should your VC fail.

His price also lines up nicely to be able to trade to Rashid Khan in Round 2 when the Heat have the bye and the Strikers have their DGW, effectively giving you four scores from two rounds from the spot in your team.

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15 points for a maiden should be seen as a bonus as they are rare in T20s, however dot balls are a good way for bowlers to accumulate some added points.

Daniel Worrall ($160k) averaged the most dot balls per game last season with 10.9.

At first glance it may seem like he had a much-improved season averaging 51.2 compared to 32.2 in the season prior, but that average is inflated by a ridiculous anomaly with the bat that was his 62 not out off 39 balls against the Hurricanes. If you take that score out his average drops to 37.4.

He also struggled in the Vitality Blast this year only taking three wickets in 8 games at an economy of 8.8.

I’ve never been a big fan of Worrall for BBL Supercoach as T20s don’t usually suit his style of bowling.

He doesn’t have many variations and doesn’t usually bowl at the death, often relying on swinging the new ball. He also isn’t locked into that Strikers squad, often rotating with other fringe bowlers.

I think he is significantly over-priced based on what we’ve seen from him in the past and is a risky option even for his double in Round 2. He is one guy I’ll be avoiding.

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Two other guys I think are over-priced are Brendan Doggett ($176k) and Zak Evans ($164.2k). Both only played five games each last season and their averages are somewhat inflated by one big score.

They both also might not be in their team’s best 11 each round, so they come with significant risk at the price. Avoid to start with and reassess for their DGWs later in the season.

It’s possible Nathan Coulter-Nile ($189.8k) is also overpriced. Coming off a 67.7 average in only si games last season which was inflated by a 169 in Round 1, he failed to reach 40 in half of those games. That 169 shows the ceiling he does have on his day however.

His body is also an issue these days as he is either an injury risk or rotation risk.

He could be one to look at bringing in for his Round 3 double, but there’s the potential he gets rested for the second game which we’ve seen in the past.

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Watch and see how he goes in the first two rounds to hopefully get a better idea on whether to pick him or not for the Round 3 double, but I can’t start with him at that price.

Adam Zampa ($169.5k) is another Stars player that is worth considering starting with and is currently 20% owned.

He’s usually a consistent, reliable option having averaged 54.3 and 64.3 the past couple of seasons. A typically economical bowler, he chips in with wickets too getting wickets in 19 of his 25 BBL games the past two seasons picking up 39 scalps in that time.

He averages 63.9 at his home ground of the MCG, a ground he plays at twice in the opening three rounds with the big square boundaries there certainly helping his bowling.

He’s been in great form for Australia this year, especially at the World Cup where he took 13 wickets in seven games at an economy of 6.

It might be tough for some to fit him in for Round 1, but he’s definitely an option for the Round 3 double and should be in your trade plans.

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Given the Strikers have a Round 3 bye, trading a Strikers bowler like Wes Agar ($142.1k) to Zampa might be an easy route to get him.

Agar is a POD option currently at 7% ownership that has been in and out of my team as I look to get the jump on the Strikers Round 2 double.

He started with a bang last season, taking 11 wickets in the first six games and a score of 119 in his first game, going on to finish with 22 wickets for the tournament.

I am thinking he will bowl at the death which we’ve seen him do in the past, but it’s worth noting Peter Siddle and George Garton can also bowl at the death.

Howevre, given Garton is new to the BBL and Siddle is 37 and on the decline with Agar on the up, they might turn to Agar and give him more responsibility with his bowling seemingly improving with each year.

He faded slightly last year to finish with an average of 45.5, but I think he can improve on that this year.

Another reason I’m considering him is he plays the Renegades in the first and second game and the Renegades could struggle again this year, especially if they are missing a couple of important batsman, their batting line-up could be weak and inexperienced.

They also play at Marvel in Round 1 which can be an unpredictable pitch making it hard for batsman, especially if the roof is covered which is a chance with plenty of rain around lately that is predicted to continue throughout the summer.

They also play at the Sydney Showground Stadium in Round 2 against the Scorchers which at times can be somewhat unpredictable too. The team he averages the highest against at 64.8 is also the Scorchers.

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Kane Richardson ($152k) is in a similar boat to Agar given the depleted Strikers batting line-up he faces in the first two rounds as well as his home ground of Marvel that he loves where he averages 84.9.

No early double game week (DGW) is the big negative for Richardson with other options proving more popular to him that have an earlier double, but I feel he still should be considered given his ability and the fact he’s potentially slightly under-priced.

The past three seasons he has averaged 48.6, 56 and 74.5 so the potential is there for him to bounce back and improve on his average from last season.

He has great skills, especially bowling at the death, which often sees him get a call up to the Australian T20 squad.

Sometimes the Renegades can struggle with the bat and don’t leave the likes of Richardson a good target to defend and therefore there’s less pressure on opposition batsman which can also affect Richardson’s output, but he is their strike bowler and can still find ways to get wickets.

If Richardson can get back to the form of BBL08 where he had six scores over 100 and peaked at a price of $231.9k, then he could be a great option at his current price.

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Steve O’Keefe ($132.8k) I think is an avoid despite having the double in Round 1.

He’s really only had the one good season in BBL08 where he averaged 62.5 which seems more of an anomaly then something we can expect.

He’s never been a big wicket-taker and often hovers around an average in the high 30s to low 40s.

The ageing 37-year-old has had his injury concerns too and has often played through niggling injuries in recent years. He is always a risk at getting rested at any stage as a result.

He doesn’t get much opportunity with the willow and gets hidden in the field, so you won’t get any bonus points from those aspects of the game.

His teammate in Ben Manenti ($76.5k) offers a bit more appeal and is almost half the price of O’Keefe. He is likely to be in the Round 1 team and seems to be ahead of Lloyd Pope ($73.9k) in the pecking order for now.

Manenti hasn’t really showed much in his Sixers career so far and has to be some risk at rotating in and out of the squad, but at the price, he offers some upside and could make some quick cash early before trading him out should he start well in Round 1.

Half of his games in his BBL career he has failed to reach 30 points and also isn’t guaranteed four overs given the Sixers will likely have six bowling options. Risky, but a cheapie option nonetheless.

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Xavier Bartlett ($97.9k) seems a good value option for the early rounds, especially his Round 1 double. He was the victim at times of the X-factor rule last season getting subbed out after one over, but he still picked up 12 wickets in the 15 overs he bowled.

With a few Heat players missing early he should get his four overs each game and likely will have to bowl some death overs too.

A top score of 88 last season shows he has some scoring ability and with a season under his belt now and an improved role, he hopefully can make some fast cash early.

A small flag is he has only recently started bowling again after having a back issue so hopefully that doesn’t affect his output, but he should be fit for Round 1 and will be hard to overlook at the price.

Also if starting Bartlett, look to have a plan to trade him out soon after Round 1 and a eye off a suitable option of who you could trade him to especially if he fails at that price.

With players returning to the Heat, Bartlett’s role might get worse or possibly even be rotated in and out with other fringe players. Trading him to a guy like Ashton Agar in Round 3 or 4 could line up nicely.

The same goes for Matt Kuhnemann ($85.4k) and potentially Connor Sully ($42k) who could have an improved role for the Heat in the DGW and be smokey cheapies early, but likely drop out of the team once a few guys return from international duty.

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Joel Paris ($62.5k) will be another cheapie that will be popular but is under an injury cloud for Round 1. Should he miss Round 1 you could also use him as a downgrade option from a guy like Bartlett.

Paris has been around for a while now, but his career has been cruelled by constant injuries which is the risk when picking him.

He’s had to adjust his bowling action too in recent years which has seen him loose some of the pace he had.

He hasn’t really fired in the BBL yet during his time at Perth, but he takes over the vacant James Faulkner role at the Hurricanes.

He can swing the new ball but likely won’t bowl much at the death, however given his price and that he likely bowls his four overs he has to be considered. It won’t take much to see his price rise quickly should he be able to stay fit.

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Matthew Kelly ($101.4k) is a massive POD that has seemingly gone under the radar, currently only 1% owned.

There’s a good chance he takes over Jhye Richardson’s role who will miss most of this BBL and he looks good value for a guy who can bowl at the death, has a good yorker and likely bowls his four overs.

He has a career T20 wicket per innings average of 1.29 which is pretty good. To put that into perspective, Rashid Khan is at 1.39, albeit from a much larger sample size.

He averages 54.3 at his home ground of Optus Stadium and has averaged as much as 57.4 in his best season so far in BBL08. He also comes at a discount after missing the whole of BBL10.

If he can produce those numbers again he is approximately $60k under-priced to start with and shows the upside he has. Getting on him early before his Round 4 double could prove to be a smart move.

Three other names to keep in mind are Tanveer Sangha ($131.8k), Cameron Boyce ($106k) and Sandeep Lamichhane ($103.5k), who could all be somewhat under-priced based on what we know they can produce.

Boyce missed last BBL due to a health issue that has now been resolved after extensive testing and as a result he is already $26k cheaper than his 42.4 average in BBL09.

He had a 59.4 average in BBL08 with 16 wickets at an economy of 6.4, so the potential is there. He averages 52.6 at his home ground of Marvel which can be unpredictable at times which can play into the hands of the spinner.

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Lamichhane never quite found his best form in his eight games last season, but he is much better than his 33.1 average suggests, evident by his two seasons in the BBL prior.

Given his career economy of 6.65 and a very impressive wicket per innings average of 1.53, he looks under-priced based on what he can produce. One to monitor for his Round 6 double.

Sangha could be an interesting POD option, currently 5% owned, but no early DGW is a negative. He started his debut season really well last year averaging 60.9 in the first seven rounds with 15 wickets in that time, before fading towards the end to finish with an average of 42.2.

He’s still young and developing but he already looks to have stacks of potential and a BBL season under his belt will only help him. If he can start the same way this season and maintain that throughout then he could be under-priced to start with.

Positional analysis: Deep dive into bowlers, strategies

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