As Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost are introduced, SAM DALLING speaks to four players about the fresh regulations for the 10th edition of the competition and asks if they will improve a fading product
Christmas once again comes early in the form of Australia’s Big Bash League, with the competition’s 10th edition getting underway on Thursday (December 10).
The first game sees defending champions Sydney Sixers take on Hobart Hurricanes at the Blundstone Arena, ahead of schedule. The move is designed to cut the number of midweeks, mid-afternoon clashes.
But that is not all that has changed. As well as increasing the permitted overseas contingent from two to three, a raft of rule tweaks have been introduced.
To say they have received a mixed reception is an understatement. Innovation has never been more important but change for change’s sake can be detrimental.
“T20 cricket sells itself,” states Hobart Hurricanes star Ben McDermott, while confessing that his instant reaction was one of disdain.
Sydney Thunder skipper Callum Ferguson was similarly minded: “If I am honest, I am a little unsure whether these rules needed to be implemented,” he told The Cricketer. “T20 is a great product anyway.
“You only have to look at tournaments like the IPL and the Blast. Most of the issues in the last few years around the game have been more to do with conditions, facilities and pitches. If you have great pitches and great facilities, the game will follow suit and you will have great games of cricket.”
“There are obviously reasons why the changes are being made,” says Matthew Wade, captain of the Hobart Hurricanes. Those reasons largely being dwindling interest.
Sydney Thunder captain Callum Ferguson has plenty to consider
For BBL 09, attendance figures slumped below 20,000 on average, well down from a peak of, 30,122 in BBL 06 (2016/17). TV viewing figures – though not always the most accurate metrics – took a hit too, reports earlier this year suggesting national audiences slipped to 780,000 for the last edition, down from 944,000 three years ago.
“It was probably an oversaturation,” explains Adelaide Strikers opener Jake Weatherald. “It is quite competitive over here with the AFL and they are trying to figure out what the best method is to nail the market. I think they want to make the product so good that you just want to come. It is ever-evolving and still realistically in its infancy. As a player, I probably didn’t give the changes too much thought. The mindset was it was just another element of the game evolving. I am pretty open to that.”
And as Wade points out, Australian cricket is used to a bit of tinkering. “We have had so many little changes as players over the years. I remember when they played split innings of 25 overs each. Cricketers will adapt. Like footy players do. It is an entertainment product. We will adapt and change to whatever they think will be the best product. We will make it work.”
Power Surge is perhaps the most conventional of the new regulations. The normal six-over powerplay at the start of an innings is split and reduced to four. The remaining two can be deployed by the batting side at any point from the 11th over onwards.
Wade – who has spent the last week putting India to the sword in Australian colours – believes it will add a little extra jeopardy: “It is certainly going to be more dangerous now,” he admits. “Usually, I can give myself six to eight balls to get in and then look to really try and go in overs four, five and six. Now I think you probably have four or five balls depending on how much strike you get, and then you are going to have to go at that stage. There is a lot more risk versus reward in the first four overs from that point of view, although I don’t think the powerplay will play out much different.”
However, Weatherald doesn’t see his approach changing. He and Sussex star Phil Salt flourished at the top of the Strikers’ order in BBL 09, racking up 767 runs between them. Their mantra, which was to attack from the off and hope that one of them comes good.
“I’m not too fussed about setting parameters around how I go about it. You just have to go out there and with no expectations about what you are going to do: if you come off, you come off. It is still a slightly tricky point in the game – they either bowl really well and you find it quite hard to score or they bowl a few lose ones with a brand new ball and you find boundaries quite easily. It just naturally happens that you try to score a bit in the fifth or sixth over - the ball will probably do a bit less and still has some shine on it.”
Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost... new Big Bash League rules explained
“I am not saying by any means that you shouldn’t go out and look to score but it might work that the pressure gets taken off you a little bit because you know you can catch up if you have wickets in hand at the end against the older ball. You know that you could really get the momentum going into the back end of an innings.
“And if they want to bowl a good bowler during that power surge - which they probably do – you are taking away death bowlers before the last overs too.”
It should give extra freedom to those further down the order, too. Jon Wells finished the 2019-20 season as the fourth-highest run-scorer and enjoyed great success as a finisher.
“It is a great opportunity for someone like me to get two overs in the middle without the fielding restrictions. It is a bonus, and I am looking forward to taking advantage during the tournament!
“It keeps that interest for the fans as well – if a team is cruising, they could potentially lose a couple of wickets and then suddenly the other team is back in the game. Or it could be where the shackles open up and you get a couple of big overs.”
McDermott, a sceptic initially, confesses his head has started to turn already.
“Originally I wasn’t a fan but actually in the practice games the power surge has been quite exciting. It has gone both ways: sometimes it has come off and been awesome, and other times we have taken it, lost a few wickets and the whole innings has lost momentum.
“It is going to be key. If you win the surge and get a couple of 15 run overs is the 13th or 14th over you go a long way towards winning the game. That is when the game sort of stalls. You can really lose it by going too hard and it not coming off but you can win by going really hard and it coming off.”
Matthew Wade will only have four overs at the start of the innings to take advantage of the fielding restrictions
Bash Boost is a bonus point system. Whichever side has the most runs at the 10-over mark in the chase is awarded one point, regardless of the eventual outcome. With victories now worth three points, there is a possible four on offer for each side.
Ferguson explained: “I can understand that in a big run chase where sides have lost a few wickets early it might keep the fireworks going for a little bit with sides trying to win the first 10 overs, rather than feeling like they are just going to lose.
“But I feel like win/loss is much more the fabric of the game. I quite like the bonus point for chasing the runs down earlier than expected mainly because you are still chasing the win. It is still a win/loss scenario.
“We want to be looking to win or lose and this bonus point at the halfway mark may cause the loss of some of those big comeback wins. You know, where sides might lose four or five early but then a couple of big-hitting allrounders suddenly put on 60 in four overs and you are back in the hunt.”
It is one for coaches and captains alike to ponder but it might one to assess on a rolling basis. “You almost need to see how it plays out during the game,” suggests McDermott. “It is definitely going to make teams think a bit more. You want to take it on and get that bonus point but at the end of the day if you are winning games it does not really matter. If you are aiming to win the game first, then it should sort of work itself anyway.”
And the general feeling is that it might not even come to mind initially, with Wells admitting that it was not mentioned much on the first day of warm-up games. “It was just go out and bat. Just play.”
Weatherald laughs when pressed on his thoughts. His formative experiences of the changes have not been kind: “We got sent a message out today just to practice it and I got out next ball. So, for me it probably distracted a little bit!”
“It is a bit of bonus to bowling team as your chances of getting out when you don’t need to – especially in that 8th or 9th over might increase where the game ideally might be high percentage play for the batsmen.”
Jake Weatherald is not expecting to change tact
Finally, the X-Factor permits either team to replace one of their playing XI who has not batted or bowled more than a single wit their 12th or 13th player.
Back in 2005, the ICC trialled a super-sub in one-day internationals. Vikram Solanki became the first, replacing Simon Jones for England against Australia.
It did not last long, with criticism stinging, particularly over how it favoured the side winning the toss, with the 12th man named before the coin was flipped.
Despite being dubious about its introduction, Ferguson thinks it might come in handy.
“I think it will definitely come into our calculations,” he admitted. “I think the initial stages of the game will really dictate whether that substitute gets used or not. You can use it in a number of different ways – I can see that if you start the game and the wicket is considerably slower and turning a bit more than you might have expected then you might bring an extra spinner in.
“Or if you get off to a flyer and you are not many wickets down after the initial stages of the game then you might take a batter out and bring in an extra bowler. I can see those types of scenarios taking place.”
Weatherald too sees the Strikers using it that way: “It is a bit more of a tactical change – a risky one You will probably bring in a spinner. Our spinning options are quite good so we would probably have a leg-spinner come in and that would be quite a dramatic change for us. It would be quite helpful having an extra spinner if the pace bowlers are struggling.”
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