Building a bowling attack capable of winning games at Adelaide Oval has been a key focus for the Strikers for BBL|15
New pace attack gives Strikers defensive options: BBL|15 preview
To borrow an American sports phrase, Adelaide Strikers have spent the off-season recalibrating their defence as they seek to climb back up the table in KFC BBL|15.
Generally one of the better offensive teams in the league owing to their attacking batting line up and high-scoring home ground, the Strikers have reshaped their pace attack this season to try and improve their defensive bowling.
After their men's side claimed the wooden spoon for the first time in Strikers history last season, the club went all-in on quicks at the draft, securing the services of England's Luke Wood and Pakistan's Hassan Ali.
Powerful England allrounder Jamie Overton is also back for a third straight season in Adelaide after re-signing prior to the draft with full availability for BBL|15.
Emerging Under-19 World Cup-winning quick Tom Straker has also been brought in to boost their bowling depth after they lost Australian fast bowler Brendan Doggett to Melbourne Renegades.
Headlined by captain Matt Short and the BBL's most prolific men's batter of all time, Chris Lynn, the Strikers were the fastest scoring team during last season's home-and-away matches with a combined batting strike rate of 144.
But their bowlers also went the distance, particularly at Adelaide Oval, with their team economy rate of 8.98 runs per over the highest of any team at their home ground in BBL|14.
BBL|15 club previews
Strikers | Heat | Hurricanes | Renegades
Short said they were "good in patches" with the ball in BBL|14, but this season he was confident he had bowlers that he could deploy in "every phase of the innings".
"We've got in guys like Luke Wood and Hassan Ali, on top of Jamie Overton and Henry Thornton, and they can hopefully bowl whenever required," Short said.
It's not just on field either where the Strikers have added to their group, with Big Bash legends Ben Dunk and Ben Laughlin joining the club as batting and bowling assistants respectively to work alongside second year head coach Tim Paine.
"We've got some really good inclusions (this season) both on and off the field," Short said.
"We've got Ben Dunk and Ben Laughlin onboard as batting and bowling coaches, so they're guys who are fresh out of the game and have played here before, so they know what they're talking about.
"We've obviously lost Brendan Doggett (Renegades), D'Arcy Short (uncontracted) and Jake Weatherald (Hurricanes).
"(But) we've got some handy replacements in Mackenzie Harvey, Jason Sangha and Tom Straker, so bringing that youth and excitement into our squad is something we're really looking forward to."
Short has put a disjointed year of injuries behind him – which saw him miss three games last BBL season with a broken toe and then Australia's white-ball series against West Indies and South Africa with a cartilage fracture in his rib – to return to form in recent months.
The right-hander, a two-time winner of the BBL's player of the tournament award (BBL|12 and |13), has scored half-centuries in his past three Sheffield Shield innings for Victoria, which came after a match-winning 74 in the second ODI against India at Adelaide Oval in October.
Short's side will launch their BBL|15 campaign with a trip to Sydney to take on the Sixers on Wednesday night before a six-day break until their first home fixture (against the Stars on December 23) due to this week's third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.
Last season
Result: Eighth
Most runs: Alex Ross (256)
Most wickets: Lloyd Pope (15)
BBL|15 squad
Hassan Ali, Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Mackenzie Harvey, Travis Head, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Alex Ross, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Tom Straker, Henry Thorton, Luke Wood. Replacement player: Jerrssis Wadia
Ins: Jason Sangha (Thunder), Mackenzie Harvey (Renegades), Tom Straker (Heat), Jerrssis Wadia
Outs: Brendan Doggett (Renegades), Jake Weatherald (Hurricanes), Liam Haskett (Heat), James Bazley, Harry Manenti, Ollie Pope, D'Arcy Short
Internationals: Hassan Ali (Pakistan), Jamie Overton (England) Luke Wood (England)
Head coach: Tim Paine
Season schedule
Possible best XIs
Full strength: Matt Short, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey (wk), Alex Ross, Liam Scott, Jamie Overton, Hassan Ali, Henry Thornton, Luke Wood, Lloyd Pope
For the first game: Matt Short, Jason Sangha, Chris Lynn, Alex Ross, Liam Scott, Jamie Overton, Harry Nielsen (wk), Hassan Ali, Henry Thornton, Luke Wood, Lloyd Pope
Player availability
The Strikers only absences to start the season are their Aussie stars Travis Head and Alex Carey, who will be unavailable until after the Ashes.
Overseas recruits Jamie Overton, Hassan Ali and Luke Wood have been named in their squad to face the Sixers on Wednesday night and will all be available for the full BBL|15 season including finals, pending international selection.
"As it stands at the moment, we've got them for all of the tournament," Paine said. "That continuity of overseas players, and our whole list, is really important.
"We've got a clean bill of health, which is always good at the start of a big tournament to have your full list to choose from."
Overseas recruits
Jamie Overton (England): The versatile Englishman returns for his third straight season with the Strikers as their leading fast bowler across the previous two combined (27 wickets). Overton has also been destructive with the bat for the Strikers and was only dismissed twice for his 191 runs last season. Having retired from first-class cricket, the 31-year-old's focus is purely on white-ball cricket where he is a regular member of England's ODI and T20 sides. With 179 T20 matches to his name, Overton adds vital experience to the Strikers' young attack as well as flexibility to their middle order batting.
Luke Wood (England): Returns for his second stint in the Big Bash after representing the Stars in BBL|12 where he collected 20 wickets in 14 games to lead the club's bowling. A left-armer with the ability to swing the ball back into a right-handed batter, expected Wood to take the new ball for the Strikers this season after the club spent pick three on him in June's overseas player draft. Broke back into England's white-ball sides this year after not playing since 2023.
Hassan Ali (Pakistan): Set for his BBL debut this summer, the Pakistan seamer was secured by the Strikers with pick 23. While short in stature, Hassan is renowned for his crafty variations and excellent yorker. the right-armer boasts a solid record in the Pakistan Super League with 125 wickets in 92 games. He's also played for T20 franchises in England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Caribbean as well as representing Pakistan in 57 T20 internationals for a return of 72 wickets.
"(Wood's) a new ball specialist who swings it and (Hassan) is a guy who's got lots of skills and is more suited to the back-end and a defensive-type of bowler," Strikers coach Tim Paine said. "We looked at a lot of data before we went to the draft and those two stood out."
Inside word with Strikers coach Tim Paine
Bouncing back
It's been a busy off-season for Adelaide's list managers after finishing at the bottom last season, bringing in South Australian batters Jason Sangha and Mackenzie Harvey from the Thunder and Renegades respectively, while moving on Big Bash veteran D'Arcy Short, with the competition's fifth highest run-scorer of all time yet to secure a deal elsewhere in BBL|15. New Test opener Jake Weatherald also followed his state move to sign with the Hurricanes.
They've complemented their pace attack with Queensland young gun Tom Straker, while Strikers Academy prospect Jerrssis Wadia – a 24-year-old spin-bowling allrounder – has signed as a replacement player in recent days.
But their biggest additions have come in reshaping their bowling attack with overseas quicks, securing the return of Jamie Overton and drafting Hassan Ali and Luke Wood, offsetting the loss of Australian fast bowler Brendan Doggett to the Renegades.
"Every year you want to get better, don't you?" Paine said. "We looked at a lot of numbers and clearly (Adelaide Oval) is a high-scoring ground and to win at our own ground we're going to have to get really good at defending.
"So at the draft we brought in two high-quality fast bowlers who not only have been successful around the world, but the way they bowl and their style of bowling, we think is going really effective on our home ground.
"And winning at home is a big part of going deep in the tournament."
Adding international experience
The loss of Doggett to the Renegades and Wes Agar the previous year to the Thunder means the Strikers now have an inexperience domestic fast-bowling group with Henry Thornton, 29, the oldest, though he had only played 33 T20s to date. Jordan Buckingham, allrounder Liam Scott, both 25, and Tom Straker (20) are just starting out their careers.
"Our batting numbers in the past few years have been outstanding, we just haven't been able to defend grounds as well as we would have liked," Paine said.
"So going to the draft has not only been about this year and getting some high quality fast bowlers in who are good on the field, but also for our young guys like Jordan Buckingham, Tom Straker and Henry Thornton – we've got a lot of up and coming fast bowlers locally – and we think they'll develop a lot off those two senior pros, which will hold them in really good stead for coming years."
Player to watch
Liam Scott finished the last BBL season with his maiden T20 half-century and has been in excellent form for South Australia during the first half of the summer, notching his maiden century (147) in their last match before the Big Bash break. He also hit 73 for Australia A and has taken 12 wickets with his medium-pacers in the Sheffield Shield.
"It's been great to watch him develop and he's becoming a serious cricketer," Paine said. "He's someone this season that we'll give more opportunity to with both bat and ball, and we're really excited to see what a young, talented and big strong guy like Liam can do.
"I think T20 cricket suits him. He's killing it in all forms, so his confidence is high. I've been super impressed watching him the past few years and he's certainly going to another level and we want to see that continue.
"'Scotty's' someone who could bat anywhere in the top six … there might be times where he bats up the order and there might be times where he's in the middle."