The summer has arrived – which means the Big Bash has, too.
With the WBBL drawing to a close, the men’s competition gets underway for a 13th time on Thursday December 7, with last year’s runners-up Brisbane Heat hosting the always-hyped Melbourne Stars.
With plenty of international and Aussie stars to feature, plus a new shortened fixture across both the regular season and the playoffs all leading up to the January 24 final, here’s what you need to know about every team in our BBL State of Play!
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ADELAIDE STRIKERS
The Strikers were disappointing in BBL12, winning only five games from 14 appearances and missing out on the finals.
That was despite a ridiculous campaign from top order batter Matt Short, who blitzed 458 runs at an average of 35.23 across his 14 innings.
Short was also named the BBL Player of the Tournament, marking the first time a Striker has earned the coveted award.
However, in a huge blow, Adelaide have lost their talisman in Rashid Khan who has withdrawn from the tournament due to back surgery.
The 25-year-old has taken 98 BBL wickets since making his debut for the Strikers in 2017, while no cricketer has taken more BBL wickets at a lower average than the crafty spinner at 17.51.
Meanwhile, left-hand batter D’arcy Short will join the Strikers ahead of their BBL13 campaign, hoping to recapture his form in a blue jersey.
Short won back-to-back Player of the Tournament awards in BBL7 and BBL8 while with the Hurricanes and remains the only player in history score more than 600 runs and take double digit wickets in one campaign.
Last season’s pick of the bowlers for the Strikers was seamer Wes Agar who took 18 wickets at an average of 20.27.
James Bazley also joins the Strikers from the Heat, switching shades of blue.
Squad: Wes Agar, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Ben Manenti, D’Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Jamie Overton, Adam Hose, Jake Weatherald, Harry Nielsen, David Payne
Khan ruled out of BBL with injury | 00:23
Player to look out for: Brendan Doggett
Doggett has played 41 BBL games to date, having previously featured for both the Heat and Thunder.
The Indigenous fast bowler has been solid for South Australia this season in the Sheffield Shield competition and bowls quick on his day.
Doggett has taken 40 wickets but expect the 29-year-old to improve this season as he comes into the prime of his career.
In BBL12 he took 11 wickets but will hopefully boost those figures.
International players: Jamie Overton and Adam Hose
Both Overton and Hose will be available for the whole BBL season in a huge boost for the Strikers.
Overton hasn’t played in the BBL before and was picked by Adelaide in the draft, having made his Test debut for England in 2022.
Meanwhile, Hose scored 312 runs across 14 games in BBL12, averaging 26 with one half century.
BRISBANE HEAT
The Heat came desperately close to winning BBL12 after finishing in fifth after the regular season.
Brisbane bested the Thunder, Renegades and the Sixers on their way to the grand final, eventually going down to the Scorchers.
Jimmy Peirson was the pick of the batsmen for the Heat, scoring 334 runs at an average of 23.85, while Matt Renshaw also hit 283.
However, it was on the bowling front that the Heat excelled, with Michael Neser taking 26 wickets to sit in second place on the overall leaderboard.
He averaged an impressive 19.03 across the competition, taking three four-wicket hauls.
James Bazley, who has now joined the Strikers, and Matt Kuhnemann also took 16 wickets each.
Spencer Johnson also had a breakout campaign and went on to play for Australia in the T20 format, hitting the 150kmph mark in only his second BBL game.
In a big boost, Kuhnemann signed a three-year contract extension in June while Mitchell Swepson also re-signed for two years in August.
Exciting opening batsmen Josh Brown has also been handed a full contract and could be one to watch ahead of the BBL13 campaign.
Meanwhile, Nathan McSweeney, who has captained Australia A, will also be a key batting figure for Brisbane this season.
Squad: Usman Khawaja, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Paul Walter, Jack Wildermuth, Nathan McSweeney
Player to look out for: Jack Wood
Jack Wood was the last signing made by the Heat, putting pen to paper on his first fill contract with the Brisbane franchise.
The 27-year-old previously made his debut as a replacement player in 2020 and also featured in 2022.
Wood has made a name for himself in Australian local T20 competitions, scoring 379 runs for Ipswich in the KFC T20 Max competition.
He also was a central figure in Randwick-Petersham’s Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup victory, flying in to Sydney to feature for the Coogee-based side.
Wood hits the ball hard and once handed another opportunity will be sure to take it with both hands.
International availability: Colin Munro, Sam Billings and Paul Walter
Munro and Billings were retained by the Heat in this year’s draft, with the Strikers also missed out on batsmen Sam Hain.
Unfortunately for Brisbane, both players will also depart for the UAE’s ILT20 competition in late January, meaning they will only play nine games.
Meanwhile, Walter, a hard-hitting all-rounder from England, will be available for the full tournament.
The Heat are set to target overseas replacement players for once the star duo depart.
HOBART HURRICANES
The Hurricanes finished in sixth after the regular season last year, winning only six games and missing out be a singular point.
Overall, Hobart had a campaign to forget outside of a handful of standout performers.
But the franchise will be desperate for a strong BBL13 season, being one of only two BBL clubs not to win a title.
Tim David was strong with the bat, scoring 354 runs at an average of 39.33, with no Hurricanes player sitting in the top 10.
Meanwhile, Riley Meredith led the way with ball in hand, taking 21 wickets to sit in equal sixth with Jason Behrendorff.
He average 21.23 across the tournament, while Paddy Dooley also had a breakout campaign.
The left-arm spinner took 19 wickets, with best figures of 4/16 across BBL13, becoming one of the Hurricanes’ most important squad members.
Hobart have made one signing coming into the next BBL season, with leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou making the move from the Scorchers.
The craft wrist-spinner could forge and incredibly dangerous T20 partnership with Dooley, in what could be an excitement machine in Tasmania.
Liam Guthrie has also signed and is currently apart of the Queensland Bulls squad, while both Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett have also been signed from Queensland.
Squad: Iain Carlisle, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Mac Wright, Chris Jordan, Sam Hain, Corey Anderson, Liam Guthrie, Nikhil Chaudhary, Sam Heazlett
Player to look out for: Mac Wright
Wright has only played 12 BBL games to date but has solid returns, scoring 240 runs with a high score of 70 at an average of 26.67.
The 25-year-old didn’t set the world alight in the Marsh One Day Cup for Tasmania, however he has recently scored two centuries in the 2nd XI competition.
He combined with Jake Weatherald (223) in the second innings against Victoria in Tasmania’s most recent game, belting 106 from 152 deliveries and is in fine form.
International availability: Corey Anderson, Sam Hain and Chris Jordan
The Hurricanes targeted three dangerous players in Anderson, Hain and Jordan.
Anderson, who has previously played for New Zealand, is now a USA representative and will be available for up to nine games before he leaves to join the ILT20 competition.
Both Hain and Jordan could be selected for England, meaning they could miss the first three games of BBL13 due to a series against the West Indies which ends on December 22.
Hain will also play in the ILT20 competition and will be available for the full regular season should he miss out on international selection.
MELBOURNE RENEGADES
The Renegades enjoyed a strong season in BBL12, finishing in third place after the regular season.
However, they were bundled out of the finals by the Heat in the Knockout clash, ending their hopes of a second BBL title.
Despite slumping out of the title race it was a hugely improved campaign for the red Melbourne team after running dead last in BBL11.
Experienced batsmen Aaron Finch led the way with the bat, scoring 428 runs to finish in fourth on the leaderboard at an average of 38.9.
Tom Rogers was the best of the bowlers, taking 23 wickets at an average of 20.04 across his 15 games.
Overseas spinner Akeal Hosein was also impressive, taking 13 wickets in his nine games although he hasn’t been retained.
Instead the Renegades acquired both Quinton de Kock and Mujeeb Ur Rahman as their overseas players.
They also recruited Joe Clarke in a huge blow to the struggling Stars, topping the rival’s batting list in BBL12.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne outfit have made three big signings in Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle.
Zampa made a cross-town switch from the Stars, having been traded in a swap deal for wicket-keeper Sam Harper.
Siddle will also return to Victoria after a stint with the Strikers and Lyon swapping from the Sixers.
Australia’s most decorated off-spinner has signed a three-year contract with the Melbourne-based franchise in a huge coup.
Squad: Nic Maddinson, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, MacKenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Jon Wells, Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa, Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Joe Clarke, Harry Dixon
Player to look out for: Jake Fraser-McGurk
Fraser-McGurk has been one to watch for the past few seasons, but is an obvious pick for this category after a record-breaking innings.
The 21-year-old has averaged only 13.29 across his 25 BBL games so far but will be desperate to kick on this season.
In October the young gun blasted the fastest ever One Day century, scoring his 100 off only 29 balls in a staggering knock.
It marked his first century in the professional format, finishing with 125 from only 38 balls.
Fraser-McGurk hits a clean ball and Renegades fans will be hoping he can replicate that form in BBL13.
International availability: Quinton de Kock, Joe Clarke and Mujeeb Ur Rahman
In a huge boost for the Renegades, de Kock will be free to play the first eight games of the BBL season before he leaves for the South African T20 league in early January.
His availability comes after his retirement from One Day internationals post the 2023 World Cup.
Ur Rahman also has a contract in the UAE T20 competition, meaning he will be available for eight games.
Clarke will also feature in around eight games before he departs for the UAE T20 competition in mid-January.
The Renegades will likely look to sign more overseas replacement players, with four marquee spots remaining on their roster.
MELBOURNE STARS
BBL12 was a season to forget for the Stars.
The Melbourne side in green won only three games and finished dead last after a disastrous campaign.
To make matters worse they were also without star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the entirety of the campaign after a shock leg break.
Marcus Stoinis also spent a few games sidelined, but overall the Stars were simply poor.
Englishmen Joe Clarke led the way with the bat, scoring 381 runs which included an unbeaten century.
He averaged 29.30 across BBL12 but has departed the Stars after they targeted Harry Brook as their marquee draft pick in the first round.
Clarke will instead ply his trade for the Star’s cross-town rivals, the Renegades.
In yet another blow to Melbourne’s hopes, Brook has since withdrawn from the competition and will take no part in BBL13.
His recruitment came after the Stars attempted to poach Rashid Khan, only for the Strikers to use their retention pick.
With the ball, Luke Wood led the way taking 20 wickets with one five-wicket haul.
He also isn’t in Melbourne’s squad ahead of BBL13, with the Stars recruiting three big names to pick up the slack.
Scott Boland, Joel Paris and Mark Steketee all will don the Stars’ green this season.
Boland didn’t feature in the BBL last season, having played two campaigns with the Hurricanes prior to BBL12.
Paris also will make the move from the Hurricanes, having previously played for Australia in One Day cricket.
Steketee meanwhile, has joined from the Heat where he has been a consistent figure at since BBL3.
Sam Harper has also made a cross-town switch after the Stars lost Adam Zampa to the Renegades in a swap deal.
Squad: Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Harper, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Harry Brook (withdrawn), Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Campbell Kellaway
Player to look out for: Sam Harper
Harper has made a move from the Renegades, with the wicketkeeping opening batsmen having a strong BBL12 campaign.
He hasn’t set the world alight, but it is clear the young gun has ability and the Stars will be desperate to see his full set of skills in the coming weeks.
Harper scored 264 runs in BBL12 at an average of 22, belting 89 as his highest score.
International availability: Haris Rauf and Usama Mir
Rauf has become a fan favourite at the Stars, with his sheer pace often bamboozling opposition batsmen.
The Pakistani quick is dangerous and was taken as a gold pick by the Melbourne franchise and should be available for eight games.
Rauf is a strong chance of being picked in Pakistan’s T20 series against New Zealand in January but could be available should the Stars make the finals.
Mir is expected to be available for the full season and the Pakistani leg-spinner has played 12 ODIs for his country, also featuring in the 2023 World Cup.
Strikers claim consecutive WBBL Titles | 03:47
PERTH SCORCHERS
The Scorchers once again reigned supreme in BBL12.
The red-hot Perth side are always the team to beat and have now won a ridiculous five titles.
They bested the Heat in the grand final last season, with some Cooper Connolly heroics stealing the show to chase down Brisbane’s 175.
Young gun Aaron Hardie led the competition with the bat, scoring a staggering 460 runs at an average of 41.81 with four half centuries.
Josh Inglis also was excellent, belting 431 at an average of 35.91 while Ashton Turner and Cameron Bancroft also featured in the top ten for runs.
Bancroft has since signed with the Thunder, while Peter Hatzoglou has also joined the Hurricanes.
Andrew Tye was the pick of the bowlers, taking 26 at an average of 20.15 while Jason Behrendorff also bagged 21.
In the regular season the Scorchers only lost three games and were the only team to have a net run rate over 1, recording 1.205.
Overall it was an incredibly successful campaign in Western Australia and as such the Scorchers have kept their same squad ahead of BBL13.
English duo Zak Crawley and Laurie Evans will once again be Perth’s overseas players, meaning they have four more spots that can be filled if needed.
Squad: Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, Zak Crawley, Laurie Evans
Player to look out for: Cooper Connolly
Connolly is a young gun full of promise and showed his skills when needed most.
He belted an unbeaten 25 off only 11 balls to steer the Scorchers home in the BBL12 grand final, potentially cementing himself in the side.
The 20-year-old has only played four BBL games and batted twice to date, but be sure to watch out for this exciting young gun this season.
International availability: Zak Crawley and Laurie Evans
Crawley is a mainstay of the England Test squad and as such will likely depart in late January to play in a series against India.
However, he will be available for nine games from the start of the tournament if he isn’t selected for his country in T20 and ODI formats.
Evans meanwhile is another player who will feature in the UAE’s competition and will leave close to the end of the tournament.
The Scorchers are another franchise who will likely sign overseas recruits to close out the year.
Tahlia McGrath gets back-to-back wickets | 00:57
SYDNEY SIXERS
The Sixers were once again impressive in BBL12, finishing second after the regular season with 10 wins.
The Sydney franchise went down to the Heat one game out from the grand final.
Tasmanian skipper Jordan Silk was the pick of the batsmen, scoring 363 runs at an average of 45.37.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith also belted a ridiculous 346 runs at an average of 86.50 which included two centuries.
The Test gun only played in five games but still managed to finish 11th on the total runs leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Sean Abbott led the competition with ball in hand, taking 29 wickets at a ridiculous average of 14.03.
He also held an economy of 7.44 across his 54.4 overs to round out an impressive campaign for the Sixers.
This season young gun Joel Davies will make a cross-town switch after making his debut for the Thunder in BBL12.
Steve Smith has also signed on once again and is set to play in the Sixers’ first game of their campaign against the Renegades.
He will also feature once the Pakistan Test series comes to a conclusion in a huge boost for the men in Magenta.
Sydney also retained English all-rounder Tom Curran after he was drafted by the Hurricanes, while James Vince wasn’t drafted by any other franchise and was will once again ply his trade for the Sixers.
Squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Tom Curran, James Vince, Rehan Ahmed, Steve Smith
Player to look out for: Joel Davies
Davies showed what he is capable of with both bat and ball for the Thunder last year.
Now he will be desperate to cement a spot in the Sixers line-up, having also been handed a NSW rookie contract in 2023.
Davies is yet to take a wicket in his five overs bowled, while he also scored 10 runs in his singular innings with the bat.
He was also one of seven cricketers named to travel abroad to the MRF Academy in August, hoping to hone his skills in the sub-continent.
International availability: Tom Curran, James Vince and Rehan Ahmed
If Curran isn’t selected for England’s T20 series against the West Indies in December, he will be available for nine games.
He is another player who will depart for the UAE before the BBL finals kick off.
Ahmed meanwhile, is a chance of being picked for England in both the T20 and Test formats meaning he will play a max of six to nine games for the Sixers if selected.
Vince, meanwhile, will also represent Sydney for 10 games before he departs for the UAE, meaning the Sixers will also target more overseas signings.
SYDNEY THUNDER
The Thunder finished in fourth place after the regular season in BBL12, before going down to the Heat in the eliminator final.
The green side of Sydney won seven of their 14 games and only were shifted out of third place due to net run rate.
Ollie Davies scored the most runs for the Thunder last season, hitting 333 at an average of 27.75 from his 13 innings.
The next best came from Matt Gilkes who tallied 282 at an average of 21.69, with no Thunder batsmen featuring in the top 10 runs.
With the ball, Daniel Sams finished in equal ninth spot on the wickets leaderboard, taking 18 scalps alongside Wes Agar and Nathan Ellis.
Off-spinner Chris Green was the Thunder’s next best, taking 14 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 6.16.
In a huge coup, the Thunder signed opening batsmen Cameron Bancroft from the Scorchers fresh off a huge campaign.
Tahlia McGrath goes up and over the rope | 00:35
In BBL12 he scored 357 runs and will provide some much-needed grunt at the top of the order.
Fiery seamer Liam Hatcher has also signed with the Thunder in a Sydney return after three seasons in Melbourne with the Stars.
Hatcher has made 17 appearances since BBL10 and took 11 wickets in BBL12, replacing the outgoing Trent Boult.
English opener Alex Hales will once again wear Thunder green after he was drafted by the Sydney franchise.
Pakistan all-rounder Zaman Khan will also play for the Thunder in BBL13.
Squad: Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner, Alex Hales, Zaman Khan
Player to look out for: Blake Nikitaras
Nikitaras is a crafty batsmen who has played only two games for the Thunder.
In his singular batting innings the left-hander scored eight runs, but is slated to get more opportunities in BBL13.
The 23-year-old has been a strong performer in the NSW Premier Cricket competition and also hit back-to-back fifties in both innings in the Blues’ 2nd XI clash against Tasmania.
Expect Nikitaras to be out to prove he belongs at this level in the upcoming campaign.
International availability: Alex Hales and Zaman Khan
The Thunder have played their cards perfectly with their draft picks.
Sydney’s overseas players have the best availability of any franchise in BBL13, with both players set to feature for the full regular season.
Khan could be selected for Pakistan and miss the finals after making his T20 debut earlier this year, while Hales has retired from international cricket but will also miss the finals due to commitments in the UAE.
The Thunder will also hit the open market and recruit overseas players who weren’t selected in the draft.
