Big Bash League 14th Edition (2024/25)

[FearlessRoar]

Countdown begins to KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10 Drafts

The world’s best players will begin signalling their intent to play in the Big Bash Leagues from today, with nominations for the KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10 Overseas Player Drafts now open.

The Drafts will see clubs add international firepower to their domestic rosters in their quest for Big Bash titles.

Now into its third year, the BBL Draft attracted over 300 nominations in each of its first two iterations, while the inaugural WBBL Draft last year saw 122 players nominate.

More players could be drafted this year - for BBL|14 and WBBL|10, Clubs can take up to four overseas players by the completion of the Draft, an increase from three in previous seasons. The fourth player would be considered a Replacement Player for a Primary Squad member.

This quartet of overseas talent can be made up of drafted players, plus those signed before the event under the League’s new multi-year contract provision.

Clubs can sign a maximum of one overseas player per competition for up to three years prior to the Draft. These players do not need to enter the nominations pool, but all others hopeful of being drafted must nominate prior to the event.

The first group of player nominations will be announced soon, alongside a date and broadcast details for the Drafts.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, said:

“The appeal of an Australian summer has made the KFC BBL and Weber WBBL destinations of choice for the world’s best players for over a decade."

“Off the back of a successful 2023-24 summer, which saw growth in crowds and audiences alongside exciting cricket, we know many of these players can’t wait to return this summer."

“We look forward to welcoming nominations from Big Bash favourites and new faces alike ahead of the Drafts later in the year.”

The contracting window for KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10 is now open. Clubs can sign and trade domestic players, and sign one international per list on a multi-year contract.

Current squads for both Leagues are below.

KFC BBL|14 squads

Adelaide Strikers: James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Brendan Doggett, D’Arcy Short, Matt Short, Jake Weatherald

Brisbane Heat: Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, James Pierson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson

Hobart Hurricanes: Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Patrick Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Macalister Wright

Melbourne Renegades: Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Nathan Lyon, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa

Melbourne Stars: Scott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster

Perth Scorchers: Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner

Sydney Sixers: Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk

Sydney Thunder: Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Oliver Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Nathan McAndrew, William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha

Weber WBBL|10 squads

Adelaide Strikers: Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Brisbane Heat: Laura Harris, Ellie Johnston, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Georgia Redmayne

Hobart Hurricanes: Heather Graham, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman

Melbourne Renegades: Josie Dooley, Ella Hayward, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb

Melbourne Stars: Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Kim Garth, Meg Lanning, Annabel Sutherland

Perth Scorchers: Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Alana King, Lilly Mills, Chloe Piparo

Sydney Sixers: Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Kate Pelle, Ellyse Perry, Kate Peterson

Sydney Thunder: Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Tahlia Wilson

 

[FearlessRoar]

I think Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris will both get a chance to play in BBL 14.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Cricket Australia reveals fixtures for 2024/25 Big Bash League

Australia’s Test stars could be available for the final three weeks of next summer’s Big Bash League in a massive boost for the domestic T20 tournament.

Cricket Australia unveiled the schedule for the 14th edition of the BBL on Friday morning, with the 44-match competition getting underway on Sunday, December 15.

During the regular season, Big Bash matches have been scheduled on every evening except Christmas and Christmas Eve, with the tournament wrapping up within the school holidays.

Adelaide Oval will once again host the annual New Year’s Fixture with the Strikers taking on the Perth Scorchers on December 31, while the two Melbourne derbies are scheduled for January 4 (MCG) and January 12 (Docklands).

The final will take place on Monday, January 27, the day after the Australian Open concludes in Melbourne.

Australia’s final match of the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India will be the New Year’s Test in Sydney, which concludes on Tuesday, January 7.

Courtesy of the competition’s marquee supplementary player rule, Australia’s Test players should be available to join the BBL for its closing stages pending fitness and workload management.

As of last season, each franchise can sign two nationally-contracted players that have limited availability without taking up one of the spots on their 18-man roster.

Usman Khawaja (Brisbane Heat), Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades), Scott Boland (Melbourne Stars) and Mitch Marsh (Scorchers) have already penned deals ahead of the 2024/25 season, while Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are out of contract with the Heat and Sydney Sixers respectively.

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc has not played a Big Bash game in nearly a decade, a drought that could end in January.

“This is a brilliant schedule for fans, with uninterrupted action every night of the regular season and all the marquee games our fans love,” CA’s Head of Big Bash League Alistair Dobson said in a statement.

“We also can’t wait to welcome back members of the Australian Test team once again in January, taking advantage of a bigger window following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series.

“The shift to an optimised competition length last season, together with the recruitment of world class players, led to incredible crowds and experiences off the field and cricket on it. We can’t wait to see that grow in BBL|14.”

The Big Bash’s new multi-year contract option, which allows players to negotiate with teams directly rather than nominating for the draft, has already seen the likes of wicketkeeper Sam Billings and all-rounder Tom Curran commit to the entire tournament.

However, the BBL is still expected to lose several overseas players to rival T20 leagues for the second half of the competition, with the United Arab Emirates’ ILT20 commencing on January 11 and South Africa’s SA20 getting underway on January 9.

BBL Fixtures for 2024/25 season

All times local

Sunday, December 15, 2024 — Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium, 4:15PM

Monday, December 16, 2024 — Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades at the SCG, 7.15pm

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 — Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers at Manuka Oval, 7:15pm

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 — Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat at the MCG, 7:15pm

Thursday, December 19, 2024 — Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes at GMHBA Stadium, 7.15pm

Friday, December 20, 2024 — Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars at Adelaide Oval, 6.45pm

Saturday, December 21, 2024 — Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers at Blundstone Arena, 4pm

Saturday, December 21, 2024 — Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers at ENGIE Stadium, 7.15pm

Sunday, December 22, 2024 — Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba, 6.15pm

Monday, December 23, 2024 — Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers at Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm

Thursday, December 26, 2024 — Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars at the SCG, 6.05pm

Thursday, December 26, 2024 — Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat at Optus Stadium, 6:15pm

Friday, December 27, 2024 — Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval, 6:45pm

Saturday, December 28, 2024 — Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval, 7:15PM

Sunday, December 29, 2024 — Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers at the Gabba, 6:15pm

Monday, December 30, 2024 — Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades at ENGIE Stadium, 7:15PM

Tuesday, December 31, 2024 — Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers at Adelaide Oval, 6:45pm

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 — Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, Blundstone Arena, 4pm

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 — Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars at the Gabba, 6:15pm

Thursday, January 2, 2025 — Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers at Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm

Friday, January 3, 2025 — Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat at C.ex Coffs International Stadium, 6:05pm

Friday, January 3, 2025 — Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder at Optus Stadium, 6.15pm

Saturday, January 4, 2025 — Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, 7:15pm

Sunday, January 5, 2025 — Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers at Blundstone Arena, 7:15pm

Monday, January 6, 2025 — Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder at the Gabba, 6.15pm

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 — Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium, 4.15pm

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 — Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes at ENGIE Stadium, 7:15pm

Thursday, January 9, 2025 — Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers at the MCG, 7:15pm

Friday, January 10, 2025 — Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder at Blundstone Arena, 7:15pm

Saturday, January 11, 2025 — Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers at the SCG, 4:45pm

Saturday, January 11, 2025 — Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval, 7:30pm

Sunday, January 12, 2025 — Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars at Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm

Monday, January 13, 2025 — Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers at ENGIE Stadium, 7:30pm

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 — Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, Blundstone Arena, 7:30pm

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 — Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers at Adelaide Oval, 7pm

Thursday, January 16, 2025 — Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba, 6.30pm

Friday, January 17, 2025 — Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder at the SCG, 7:15pm

Saturday, January 18, 2025 — Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat at Marvel Stadium, 5pm

Saturday, January 18, 2025 — Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers at Optus Stadium, 5.15pm

Sunday, January 19, 2025 — Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG, 7.15pm

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 — The Qualifier (TBC)

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 — The Knockout (TBC)

Friday, January 24, 2025 — The Challenger (TBC)

Monday, January 27, 2025 — The Final (TBC)

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 — Reserve Day (TBC)

SOURCE: https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...e/news-story/0c662e663e9acc7f38cca18d6d63eb3f

 

[FearlessRoar]

Global stars nominate for Big Bash Drafts

A cast of top-tier global talent is set to land in the KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10, with the first list of nominations for both Overseas Player Drafts announced today.

The initial list has been published on the eve of the League’s Tickets on Sale launch. From tomorrow, fans around the country can secure their seats to every BBL and WBBL game at early bird prices.

The 10 nominations announced today for each of the BBL|14 and WBBL|10 Drafts are below.

KFC BBL|14 Draft first nominations:

Name Country Retention eligible

Laurie Evans England Yes (Perth Scorchers)

Lockie Ferguson New Zealand No

Alex Hales England Yes (Sydney Thunder)

Shamar Joseph West Indies No

Shadab Khan Pakistan No

Jamie Overton England Yes (Adelaide Strikers)

Haris Rauf Pakistan Yes (Melbourne Stars)

Jason Roy England No

Mujeeb Ur Rahman Afghanistan Yes (Melbourne Renegades)

James Vince England Yes (Sydney Sixers)

Weber WBBL|10 Draft first nominations:

Name Country Retention eligible

Suzie Bates New Zealand Yes (Sydney Sixers)

Alice Capsey England Yes (Melbourne Stars)

Sophie Ecclestone England Yes (Sydney Sixers)

Shabnim Ismail South Africa Yes (Hobart Hurricanes)

Harmanpreet Kaur India Yes (Melbourne Renegades)

Heather Knight England Yes (Sydney Thunder)

Jemimah Rodrigues India No

Deepti Sharma India No

Laura Wolvaardt South Africa Yes (Adelaide Strikers)

Danni Wyatt England Yes (Perth Scorchers)

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1826801972432789596

 

[BouncerGuy]

Final nominations confirmed for Big Bash Drafts

August 28, 2024

Two high quality player pools for Sunday’s KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10 Drafts have been finalised, with 593 players nominating for selection across both Drafts.

Additionally, a full cast of 16 pre-signed players across both competitions has been confirmed, while the League has ratified a final trade of Draft Picks between two clubs.

Nominations

The complete lists of 432 BBL|14 and 161 WBBL|10 Draft nominees can be downloaded here. The lists are also available via the Big Bash App.

Headlining the final release of players are a host of English stars including Kate Cross, Ben Duckett, Lauren Filer and Reece Topley, alongside South Africa’s Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Lungi Ngidi and Rassie van der Dussen.

The final list follows a progressive release of players over the past week via the Big Bash App. These players include those eligible for retention, plus players from India (WBBL only), New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies.

England’s Zak Crawley and Dani Gibson have withdrawn their nominations after previously being published.

In all, 30 countries are represented across the nominations, emphasising the Big Bash’s global appeal.

Pre-signed players

All clubs have signed and announced one BBL and WBBL overseas player ahead of the drafts, under a new mechanism introduced this year.

The players, each signed for between one and three years, are:

Club BBL WBBL

Adelaide Strikers Ollie Pope Smriti Mandhana

Brisbane Heat Colin Munro Nadine de Klerk

Hobart Hurricanes Chris Jordan Lizelle Lee

Melbourne Renegades Tim Seifert Hayley Matthews

Melbourne Stars Tom Curran Marizanne Kapp

Perth Scorchers Finn Allen Sophie Devine

Sydney Sixers Akeal Hosein Amelia Kerr

Sydney Thunder Sam Billings Chamari Athapaththu

Pre-signed players must be selected by their club during the Draft with a pick that matches the salary band of their playing contract.

Under the Draft rules, clubs with a pre-signed player must select a minimum of two additional players in the Draft. Given all pre-signed slots have been filled, all clubs can now only pass on a maximum of one pick in the Draft.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, said:

“The KFC BBL|14 and Weber WBBL|10 Drafts have attracted another outstanding pool of overseas players, ensuring an exciting Draft day awaits on Sunday.

“The nominations continue to grow in quality and quantity every year, emphasising the Big Bash’s status as destinations of choice for players the world over.

“These are supplemented by 16 top pre-signed players who have committed their long-term futures to our Leagues, a great result for fans and clubs alike.

“We thank the players and their agents from around the world for commitment to the Big Bash Leagues, and overseas boards for their support and cooperation.”

Pick trades

Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades have agreed a Pick trade ahead of the WBBL|10 Draft.

The Strikers have traded Picks 19 and 30 to the Renegades, receiving Picks 22 and 27 in return.

The final order of selections for both Drafts can be viewed below.

 

[BouncerGuy]

After 1st round, here is what the team picks are:

 

[BouncerGuy]

Full squads: Every club's list (so far) for BBL|14

Adelaide Strikers

Head coach: Tim Paine

Contracted for BBL|14: Fabian Allen (West Indies), James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Chris Lynn, Jamie Overton (England), Lloyd Pope, Ollie Pope (England), Alex Ross, D'Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald

Ins: Jordan Buckingham, Ollie Pope (England), Alex Ross (Thunder), Fabian Allen (West Indies)

Outs: Wes Agar (Thunder)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope (pre-signed), Fabian Allen

Out of contract: Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen

Adelaide Strikers will be treated to a full season of 'Lynnsanity' for the first time with Chris Lynn recommitting for the entire BBL|14 campaign including finals. Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey is also back on board for this summer after signing a mammoth four-year deal to remain with the Strikers until at least BBL|17.

He'll work closely with new head coach Tim Paine who has taken over the top job following Jason Gillespie's resignation from both his Adelaide and South Australia roles to take charge of Pakistan's Test side.

The Strikers secured England Test vice-captain Ollie Pope as their pre-draft signing and speedster Henry Thornton has recommitted on a two-year deal. They've also added emerging SA quick Jordan Buckingham to their list after trading out Wes Agar and their second-round pick to Sydney Thunder to strengthen their draft position, moving up in the order from their 13th selection to the Thunder's pick 11.

At the Draft table, the Strikers used their first two selections to ensure Jamie Overton would return for another year and confirm their pre-signing Pope. They went a bit left-field with the Fabian Allen selection because the squad lacks three dimensional players and Allen can impact at any stage of the match.

Alex Ross, who was out of contract at the Thunder, will also return to where his T20 career began in 2014, signing a two-year deal to join the Strikers until the end of BBL|15, boosting their middle-order depth.

Leggie Cameron Boyce was rewarded with a two-year extension in February after leading the Strikers revival in the second half of last season as the leading spinner in BBL|13 with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 6.92, and his partner in crime Lloyd Pope has signed a three-year extension. The pair helped reverse Adelaide's fortunes last season, sparking a five-game win streak that took the club from the foot of the table into the finals.

Brisbane Heat

Head coach: Johan Botha

Contracted for BBL|14: Tom Alsop (England), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Paul Walter (England)

Ins: Callum Vidler, Tom Alsop (England)

Outs: Josh Brown (Renegades), Sam Billings (Thunder)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Colin Munro (pre-signed), Paul Walter, Tom Alsop

Out of contract: Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood

Former South African international Johan Botha is the man appointed to lead the Heat's title defence, signing a three-year deal as head coach after Wade Seccombe didn't seek an extension to his Queensland and Brisbane Heat contracts.

Botha's first move was to secure the return of Kiwi journeyman Colin Munro for another two seasons as the club's direct overseas signing. After the losses of Josh Brown to Melbourne Renegades, who was in hot demand following his 57-ball 140 to put the Heat into the final, and Sam Billings to Sydney Thunder, re-signing Munro will help keep some stability at the top of the order for the reigning champions.

Botha takes the reins following title-winning coach Seccombe's resignation in March, with the former Queensland and Heat mentor since joining Brown at the Renegades as their T20 high performance boss.

Apart from Brown, the Heat locked away most of their BBL|13 title-winning squad prior to the end of last season, including Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Xavier Bartlett and Max Bryant who are all staying put until at least the end of BBL|15. They've also added Australia U19 World Cup winner Callum Vidler in a boost to their bowling stocks.

Aussie star Marnus Labuschagne has only ever played for the Heat and will return for a ninth season in BBL|14. Cult hero Paul Walter is also returning while fellow English Draft selection Tom Alsop brings a bit more middle-order grunt and can also keep wickets.

Hobart Hurricanes

Head coach: Jeff Vaughan

Contracted for BBL|14: Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Shai Hope (West Indies), Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan (England), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Mac Wright

Ins: Charlie Wakim, Shai Hope (West Indies), Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Shai Hope, Chris Jordan (pre-signed), Rishad Hossain

Out of contract: Liam Guthrie, Sam Heazlett, Billy Stanlake

Another club with a stable list, the underperforming Hurricanes have secured the return of star England allrounder Chris Jordan as their direct overseas signing on a two-year deal. They've also announced the re-signings of Mac Wright and Nikhil Chaudhary, with emerging quick Iain Carlisle also earning a new two-year deal to bolster an already strong pace attack they hope can deliver that elusive first title.

Windies gun Shai Hope was the Canes' first selection on Draft night and top order consistency is something Hobart have been desperately craving in recent seasons. His arrival could allow the likes of Ben McDermott to drop down the order and have an impact in the middle or end of the innings.

Tall Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain looms as a steal following his exploits at the recent T20 World Cup, but how does he compliment Paddy Dooley and Peter Hatzoglou?

Tasmanian batter Charlie Wakim has also joined the squad for next season after spending the past few summers as a local replacement player, including opening alongside Josh Brown for the Heat when they beat the Strikers in the Challenger.

Melbourne Renegades

Head coach: Cameron White

Contracted for BBL|14: Jacob Bethell (England), Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Laurie Evans (England), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Fergus O'Neill, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Tim Seifert (New Zealand), Will Sutherland, Jon Wells, Adam Zampa

Ins: Josh Brown (Heat), Gurinder Sandhu (Thunder), Tim Seifert (New Zealand), Laurie Evans (Scorchers), Jacob Bethell (England)

Outs: Aaron Finch (retired), Shaun Marsh (retired), Nic Maddinson (Thunder), Akeal Hosein (Sixers)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Laurie Evans, Jacob Bethell, Tim Seifert (pre-signed)

Out of contract: Ruwantha Kellapotha, Peter Siddle

Cameron White will lead the Renegades into a new era in BBL|14 after signing a three-year deal to replace David Saker as head coach, who was let go despite having a year to go on his contract following a disappointing campaign where the club returned to the bottom half of the table for the fourth time in five seasons.

The positive is they've secured their future with young talents Jake Fraser-McGurk and Will Sutherland signing on for another four and three years respectively, and they also won the race for the big-hitting Josh Brown, which is timely given the retirements of greats Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh at the end of last season. With the addition of experienced New Zealand 'keeper-batter Tim Seifert as their direct overseas signing on a two-year deal, and the acquisition of Laurie Evans with their platinum draft pick, the Renegades have a top order to be feared. Jacob Bethell meanwhile has a good record as a lower-order hitter too and crucially, unlike the rest of the batters, is a left hander.

They have also injected more experience into their pace attack, signing Queensland quick Gurinder Sandhu after 11 years at the Sydney Thunder, while rising star Fergus O'Neill has penned a two-year deal.

Melbourne Stars

Head coach: Peter Moores

Contracted for BBL|14: Scott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran (England), Ben Duckett (England), Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Usama Mir (Pakistan), Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster

Ins: Tom Curran (Sixers), Hamish McKenzie (Scorchers), Ben Duckett (England)

Outs: Nick Larkin (retired)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Ben Duckett, Tom Curran (pre-signed), Usama Mir

Out of contract: Joe Burns, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Corey Rocchiccioli

World Cup-bound Aussie Marcus Stoinis has re-committed to the Stars for another three seasons and he could be in line to captain the club in BBL|14 after Glenn Maxwell announced his intention to step down from the role at the end of last season.

Maxwell had captained the club since BBL|08, leading them to the final in both of his first two seasons in charge, but told teammates after their final game of BBL|13 that he wanted to focus on just playing next season.

A big scoop for the Stars saw them lure experienced English allrounder Tom Curran – the league's third most prolific overseas bowler of all-time with 51 wickets – from the Sixers as their direct overseas signing on a two-year deal. They sprang a surprise with their No.1 pick, taking England opener Ben Duckett, who last played BBL with the Heat three seasons ago.

There were positives for the Stars under new coach Peter Moores last season, winning four games on the trot after Christmas to put themselves in contention for finals.

However, three losses to finish saw them slip to sixth and miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year. Pakistan leggie Usama Mir and new recruit Hamish McKenzie bolster the spin stocks after they traded out Adam Zampa prior to last season.

Perth Scorchers

Head coach: Adam Voges

Contracted for BBL|14: Ashton Agar, Finn Allen (New Zealand), Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Matthew Hurst (England), Josh Inglis, Keaton Jennings (England), Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner

Ins: Mahli Beardman, Finn Allen (New Zealand), Matthew Hurst (England), Keaton Jennings (England)

Outs: Hamish McKenzie (Stars), Laurie Evans (Renegades)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Finn Allen (pre-signed), Matthew Hurst, Keaton Jennings

Out of contract: Liam Haskett, Sam Whiteman, Andrew Tye

Perth made a splash in August by recruiting big-hitting New Zealand opener Finn Allen as their direct overseas signing ahead of the September 1 draft on a two-year deal, with full availability. It came after Allen turned down a central contract with the Black Caps to pursue T20 franchise opportunities, and strengthens the one area where the Scorchers had been a little bit susceptible last summer.

It had otherwise s been a quiet off-season for the competition's most successful club who managed to lock away most of their core players before the end of the season. Local boy Nick Hobson returns for BBL|14 as he looks to build on his success as the Scorchers finisher.

Such is the quality of the players in their squad, the Scorchers experienced a salary cap squeeze on draft night, losing out on Laurie Evans as the Renegades were able to offer him a platinum contract. It also saw Perth pass in round two, before landing two value selections in wicketkeeper-bat Matthew Hurst and opening bat Keaton Jennings.

They were hit by injuries in BBL|13 and dearly missed skipper Ashton Turner, who suffered a season ending knee injury before Christmas, but expect the Scorchers to be right up there again next summer. Turner's injury replacement last summer Sam Fanning makes the leap to a full contract after impressing in limited opportunity late in the season and teenage tearaway Mahli Beardman has also been signed for the next two seasons.

Sydney Sixers

Head coach: Greg Shipperd

Contracted for BBL|14: Sean Abbott, Jafer Chohan (England), Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, James Vince (England)

Ins: Akeal Hosein (Renegades), Jafer Chohan (England)

Outs: Steve O'Keefe (retired), Tom Curran (Stars)

BBL|14 Draft selections: James Vince, Akeal Hosein (pre-signed), Jafer Chohan

Out of contract: Jackson Bird, Mitch Perry

The Sixers are another club that have continuity with their list, and they received a huge boost for the future in August with Aussie superstar Steve Smith recommitting for another three seasons. The Australian opener will be available for at least three matches in BBL|14 following the conclusion of the Test summer on January 7.

They've also secured Sean Abbott, Todd Murphy, Ben Dwarshuis and Josh Philippe for another two seasons prior to the BBL|13 decider, as well emerging allrounder Jack Edwards for another three. In a big boost, two-time champion James Vince will return too, after the Sixers matched the Renegades' first-round bid for the classy opener.

Veteran batter Daniel Hughes turned down offers from rival teams to re-commit to a club that's "like a family" to him for another season. "We've kept the core of the same group together for a long time ... and we have two special leaders in 'Shippy' (coach Greg Shipperd) and Moises (Henriques)," said the 35-year-old, who notched his 100th BBL appearance last summer.

They'll be looking to West Indian recruit Akeal Hosein – the world's sixth-ranked men's T20I bowler – and young spinners Murphy, Joel Davies and surprise selection Jafer Chohan to continue their development in BBL|14 to help fill the void following the retirement of club legend Steve O'Keefe.

Sydney Thunder

Head coach: Trevor Bayliss

Contracted for BBL|14: Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings (England), Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner

Ins: Wes Agar (Strikers), Sam Billings (Heat), Nic Maddinson (Renegades), Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies)

Outs: Alex Ross (Strikers), Gurinder Sandhu (Renegades)

BBL|14 Draft selections: Lockie Ferguson, Sam Billings (pre-signed), Sherfane Rutherford

Out of contract: Liam Doddrell, Blake Nikitaras

A huge coup for the Thunder as they lured English star Sam Billings from the Heat for the next three seasons under the league's new multi-year contracting mechanism for overseas players. He was the first men's player to be signed under the new rule and the 32-year-old will be available for all of the next three seasons, including finals. The club beat several Big Bash rivals as well as UAE and South African T20 franchises in the race for the wicketkeeper-batter's services.

The Thunder had a great night at the Draft, recruiting Kiwi quick Lockie Ferguson at the start and locking in West Indian middle order bat Sherfane Rutherford towards the end.

New general manager Trent Copeland got straight to work following the club's last-place finish in BBL|13, adding depth to the pace stocks by acquiring Wes Agar from the Strikers.

He also secured the key signature of Aussie great David Warner for his first full BBL season following his international retirement, while they secured the signatures of leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha and quicks Daniel Sams and Nathan McAndrew until at least the end BBL|15 during the season.

Head coach Trevor Bayliss has accepted a one-year extension to lead the club in BBL|14 and Copeland declared he expected the experienced mentor to take "the team on an upward trajectory this season", and they've locked in rising talent and recent U19 World Cup winner Sam Konstas on a two-year deal.

SOURCE: CRICKET.COM.AU