Sydney Thunder early title contenders in Big Bash

We're a week into the 2019-20 Big Bash League in Australia, with the Sydney Thunder early frontrunners for the title. The Thunder topped the eight-team standings after the first week's play, with five points after two wins and a no-result.

Bet365 have the Thunder at 5.50 to win the Big Bash title outright, while the Melbourne Stars are currently their closest competitor in second place in the table. The Stars are tipped at 4.00 to win the Big Bash title.

Latest Big Bash Odds

The Thunder won the BBL in 2015-16 and are looking good for another title, but one should never look past the Perth Scorchers for a record fourth trophy. They've won the BBL three times already. There current campaign hasn't enjoyed the best start, but they have a long line of great players to get them higher up the table and perhaps into the final. At the very least, if you don't want to bet on the Perth Scorchers to win the title, you could back them to make the final. The Scorchers are at tipped at 3.75 to reach the final.

Top run-scorer in the Big Bash

The Bribane Heat's Matt Renshaw has the most runs in the 2019-20 BBL at the moment, but that could change quite quickly and will certainly influence the cricket betting markets for the Big Bash. At 12.00, he's a good pick to finish this season's Big Bash as the top run-scorer. If not him, then consider Glenn Maxwell at 11.00 or Chris Lynn at 8.50.  Maxwell and Lynn are huge players for the Stars and Heat, respectively.

5 Top Tips for Top Run-scorer in BBL

AB de Villiers is at long odds to score the most runs in the BBL because he is only joining the Brisbane Heat for the second half of the tournament. But even then, many would back him to top the run-scoring charts regardless. De Villiers was in really good form in South Africa's Mzansi Super League recently and earlier in 2019, proved as good as ever for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. It's no wonder the Proteas are trying to coax him out of retirement ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.

Most Sixes in the 2019-20 BBL

If not the top run-scorer, Chris Lynn will likely finish the BBL as having hit the most sixes. ‘Lynnsanity' arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground recently, when Lynn hit 11 sixes in a score of 94 against the Sydney Sixers. He has already hit 12 sixes this BBL – twice as many as any other player. Here are some other batsman going bigger and bigger in the BBL.

5 Top Tips for Most Sixes in BBL

Top wicket-taker in the Big Bash

Haris Rauf has the most wickets in this season's Big Bash so far, with seven after two matches. He took five of those in one match. But he was a late addition to the Stars squad after Dale Steyn got injured. Steyn will recover soon and be named in the XI, probably at the expense of Rauf. So it's not a great idea to back Rauf to finish as the top wicket-taker in the BBL, even if he is currently the leader. Stronger tips are Daniel Sims or Benjamin Maneti. Sims and Maneti play for the Thunder and Sixers, respectively, and are smaller names in a field of superstars.

5 Top Tips for Top Wicket-taker in BBL

BBL stars set for the 2020 IPL

For those looking for some early trendsetters ahead of the 2020 Indian Premier League, have a look at our handy wrap after what went down during the recent IPL player auction in Kolkata. Several Australians currently involved in the BBL were snapped up by various IPL franchises. Fast bowler Pat Cummins went to the Kolkata Knight Riders for a record price, Glenn Maxwell will be playing for the Kings XI Punjab and Nathan Coulter-Nile has become part of the Mumbai Indians.

BBL stars bought for 2020 IPL

Kolkata spent big on Cummins, while Bangalore set out a significant amount of money for Aussie trio Aaron Finch, Josh Phillipe and Aaron Finch. Phillipe is an excellent example of cricketers not yet capped at international level being able to pick up big deals in domestic T20 tournaments like the IPL.