BIG BASH 2018/19 PREVIEW: Can the Melbourne Renegades keep building?

Ahead of the Big Bash 2018/19 season, The Cricketer previews the Melbourne Renegades and considers what they will have to do to build on a very positive 2017/18...

Information:

Captain: Aaron Finch
Coach: Andrew McDonald
Overseas player: Mohammad Nabi
Titles: 0
17/18 Performance: Finished 3rd then semifinals loss to Adelaide
Best-ever performance: Finished top then semifinals loss in 2012/13
In: Cameron Boyce (Hurricanes), Dan Christian (Hurricanes), Zak Evans, Harry Gurney (England), Mackenzie Harvey, Will Sutherland (rookie), Usman Khan Shinwari (Pakistan)
Out: Dwayne Bravo (Stars), Brad Hodge (retired), Brad Hogg (unsigned), James Pattinson (Heat), Matt Short (Strikers), Guy Walker (AFL)

Form:

The Melbourne Renegades performed brilliantly last year and were only stopped in the semi-final by the eventual winners Adelaide Strikers, having come third in the points table. They did all this without their star batsman and captain Aaron Finch playing anywhere near the level everyone knows he can.

The likes of recent call-up to the Australian squad Marcus Harris, and the ever-reliable Cameron White covered for Finch though, but with Harris and Finch in the current Australia Test squad, they could well need someone else to provide White with support.

Star Player:

Aaron Finch

T20 Player Index Stats
Position: 9
Points: 720

The Renegades captain has been there or thereabouts for a number of years, but during the summer of 2018 he really kicked it up a gear, breaking into the T20 Player Index top 10. He is one of two players in the top 10 to have failed to win a single tournament over the past three years, the other being Melbourne Stars' captain Glenn Maxwell at No.2

Significantly, he is the only player in the top 10 who is only a batsman, and a dangerous combination of quickly scoring big runs (he has scored over 250 more runs than the next-highest Chris Gayle over the past three years) make him one of the best T20 batsmen in the world.

^{Aaron Finch is the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket over the past three years}

Biggest loss:

Dwayne Bravo

Bravo is, and has been for some time, one of the best T20 players in the world. If he had not left, he would have been the man occupying the Renegades star player spot. He sits at number six in the T20 Player Index and is the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket across the past three years.

He was the Renegades leading wicket-taker last year and without him their bowling naturally looks weaker. Though they are likely to be without Harris and Finch for periods of the tournament, their absences are unlikely to be as noticeable as Bravo's because he took the majority of their wickets in 2017/18, and they will need someone to plug that gap he has left behind if they are to build on the successes of last year.

^{Dwayne Bravo is the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket over the past three years}

Something to prove:

Will Sutherland

Though only set to return from injury in January, Will Sutherland (son of former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland) could still have a breakthrough year playing for the Renegades. At 18, there are still a lot of years ahead of Sutherland, but the signs are very promising for the bowling allrounder.

He made his Big Bash debut last year taking 1-32, and had taken eight wickets at just 17.12 for Victoria in the JLT One-Day Cup before picking up a back stress fracture in September 2018.

^{Will Sutherland was a major part of the impressive Australia U19 side which finished as runners-up at the 2018 U19 World Cup}

Strengths:

The Renegades have a terrifyingly strong batting lineup. Finch, Harris, White and Tom Cooper are some of the most reliable batsmen currently playing in Australian cricket. If those boys play well, then the Renegades are in with a good chance of causing a lot of teams problems

They are, however, likely to lose Finch and Harris to international call-ups, so there will be more emphasis on the performances of the Renegades bowling attack. Chris Tremain was only able to play a limited number of games in the 2017/18 season, and if the Renegades can get him in for an extended run, then their bowling could well cover for any batting absences.

Weaknesses:

As discussed before, the Renegades bowling attack looks weaker without Dwayne Bravo there taking wickets for fun. However, the international selection of Finch and Harris means their usually devasting batting lineup might not be as devastating as it was last year, so their batting could become their weakness this year.

If Chris Tremain is consistently available for selection then he could be the man to stop their bowling being a weakness – particularly if he is supported by Dan Christian, who they have brought in from last year's runners-up the Hobart Hurricanes.

Squad:

Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Tom Cooper, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Harry Gurney (replacement) Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Richardson, Usman Khan Shinwari, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth.

BIG BASH SQUADS

Prediction:

Group stage

Fixtures:

Dec 20: Perth Scorchers (H)
Dec 23: Adelaide Strikers (A)
Dec 29: Sydney Sixers (H)
Jan 01: Melbourne Stars (A)
Jan 03: Adelaide Strikers (H)
Jan 07: Hobart Hurricanes (H)
Jan 10: Brisbane Heat (A)
Jan 13: Brisbane Heat (H)
Jan 16: Sydney Sixers (A)
Jan 19: Melbourne Stars (H)
Jan 22: Sydney Thunder (A)
Jan 28: Perth Scorchers (A)
Jan 30: Sydney Thunder (H)
Feb 07: Hobart Hurricanes (A)

BIG BASH SCHEDULE