Fantasy Picks: BBL - Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder
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ESPNcricinfo staff
16-Dec-2019
December 17: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder in Brisbane
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about a late injury (or other relevant) updates
Our XI: Tom Banton, Chris Lynn, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson, Max Bryant, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Daniel Sams, Ben Laughlin, Zahir Khan, Josh Lalor
Captain: Tom Banton
The breakout star of the 2019 English season, Banton is one of the BBL's star attractions. He is heading into the first game after bashing 121 from 40 balls in the Queensland Premier Cricket tournament. And he doesn't like running.
Vice-captain: Chris Lynn
In just eight games at the Abu Dhabi T10, Lynn could have scored a hundred nearly thrice! He can easily be your captain, but we are riding on the Banton train for this one.
AB de Villiers and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will only be available to the Heat in the second half of the season
Hot picks
Alex Hales
Hales carried his average form from the CPL to the MSL, with four unimpressive outings, but finished with a bang - a 38-ball 41 and a 55-ball 97*.
Ben Cutting
Cutting was among the Heat's top-four run-getters and the top-two wicket-takers last season - he hit a 19-ball 43 in the Abu Dhabi T10 not long ago - and remains one of the best all-round picks.
Callum Ferguson
He scored 91, 127 and 122 in his last three List A games - the last two in November. Do not ignore him!
Value picks
Max Bryant
Bryant has the big hits, with a strike rate of 150-plus in T20s, and will most likely open the Heat batting with Banton. So all you have to do is… get him in! Openers over middle-over batsmen is the fantasy mantra in T20s.
Daniel Sams
A wicket-taking left-arm pacer who can score at a strike rate of over 130 - surely you can't leave him out.
Point to note: The Heat are batting heavy, so best not to pick more than one bowler from the Thunder.