Time For Some Big Bash #JandalStyle
'Brendon told me he's scared of snakes so I told him to chill in Aotearoa"
Christmas, rain, the worry of another year swiftly passing by and late night Big Bash cricket, oh summer you delightful creature.
Whether coming home from something or just enjoying a rare quiet night at home with the telly, at this time of the year the Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia always provides a couple hours of cricketing entertainment. I love the Big Bash and after watching Aotearoa's Super Smash T20 played in front of a few families, it's nice to have T20 cricket with some buzz and atmosphere to enjoy.
The truth is that comparing the Big Bash to the Super Smash doesn't do either competition justice as the Big Bash has established itself in my eyes as the premier T20 competition in the world. The Indian Premier League has the big bucks and the buzz offered by such a cricket-loving country, yet it's the Big Bash that captivates me each year, combining a growing profile with Aussie pitches and top-tier cricketing talent.
There are two things however that have pushed the Big Bash into a different stratosphere for me: greater kiwi influence and the Women's Big Bash League. The fact that the two are intertwined with seven kiwi cricketers involved in the WBBL not only means that the Big Bash is breaking down gender barriers, it also offers our female cricketers the perfect opportunity to get a taste of the big time and earn a nice little cash stack for playing the game they love.
Already called into action, our kiwi ladies have started the WBBL nicely. Sara McGlashan is playing for the Sydney Sixers Women and she's the 5th highest run-scorer so far with 95 runs and a highest score of 60 after four games. She's joined by Amy Sattherthwaite, who's playing for the Hobart Hurricanes and has taken 4/47 off 10 overs across four games while also hitting 87 runs at an average of 29.
Suzie Bates is doing a great job with the ball for the Perth Scorchers having taken 7/58 off 11 overs in only three games, taking a wicket every 9.5 balls. Bates has also hit a 47, giving her 54 runs in three games. Rachel Priest is one spot below Bates in the run-scorers list playing for Melbourne Renegades as she's got 53 runs from two games with a top score of 41.
Sophie Devine is playing for Adelaide Strikers and hasn't done too much in her first two games, neither has Hayley Jensen who has scored 2* in her two games for Melbourne Stars. Morna Nielsen is another kiwi bowler doing a fine job as she's picked up 4/51 across two games, also playing for the Stars.
Despite Brendon McCullum pulling out of his contract with the Brisbane Heat, there's still a very interesting kiwi presence in the men's Big Bash. Daniel Vettori obviously impressed the Heat as he's moved from consistently playing for the Heat to now being the head coach, a very intriguing stepping stone for one of our greatest cricketers. Stephen Fleming continues his T20 coaching career, joining the Melbourne Stars where he will be coaching the likes of Kevin Pietersen, David Hussey, Luke Wright and Glenn Maxwell.
This, along with the Sydney Thunder's trip to Christchurch understandably raised many questions/ideas about a team from Aotearoa joining the Big Bash. I remember when there was talk of an English team being based in Australia, competing in the Big Bash and if that is ever going to happen, it's only right that it happens after a kiwi team is brought into the competition.
A kiwi team, based in Aotearoa could fit seamlessly into the Big Bash as the travel requirements aren't overly hefty and scheduling can easily absorb any issues that travel might cause. The Perth Scorchers for example could only make one trip to Aotearoa in the entire season and play two games in a weekend for example, or a kiwi team could go on Australian road trips playing three games in a week then return to Aotearoa. There's definitely ways you can work a kiwi team into the Big Bash.
What needs to be figured out though is how to settle on a kiwi team. A 'Kiwi All-Stars' team would need a home base and while they could play at multiple home venues, taking the show on the road, it just doesn't feel right. Maybe a North Island and a South Island team? That's if we can get two teams into the Big Bash.
For now, I'm going to settle on the idea of playing the Super Smash a little bit earlier and using the Super Smash as a qualifying tournament for the Big Bash; you win the Super Smash and you slide on into the Big Bash. This makes things complicated with scheduling of domestic cricket in Aotearoa during the Big Bash and there'll be issues with the imports but I like this idea the most.
While I have enjoyed the Big Bash with little to no kiwi involvement, watching kiwis slowly work their way into the Big Bash is encouraging. The WBBL has certainly opened doors for our female cricketers and we're seeing the lack of our male cricketers in the Big Bash countered by a growing coaching presence and the Thunder's trip to Christchurch. We may not have the playing power, yet it does feel like Aotearoa is in the sights of the Big Bash which is encouraging.