Many brilliant batsmen have graced the Big Bash League (BBL) throughout the years, but no one has dominated it quite like Queensland opener Chris Lynn. Lynn is also the only player to have scored more than 3000 BBL runs while simultaneously hitting the most sixes (180).
Former Australian ODI captain Aaron Finch is ranked second all-time in run-scoring. The Melbourne Renegades player has scored 2817 runs in 86 innings with a strike rate of 134.01 and an average of 34.77.
1. Chris Lynn
In only his second Sheffield Shield encounter, a 19-year-old Chris Lynn demonstrated his exceptional skill by hitting 139 out of Queensland’s total of 285, becoming the Bulls’ fourth youngest century hitter after Andrew Symonds, Jimmy Maher, and Martin Love.
Despite a promising start, Lynn’s career has been hampered by a succession of long-term injuries, putting an end to early discussion of Test cricket. In 2014, he made his international debut.
2. Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch, a long-time member of Australia’s ODI and T20I sides, will be remembered as one of the country’s greatest and most important white ball players. Finch, who was born in Colac, Victoria, made headlines across the world in 2013 when he scored 156 off 63 balls (including 14 sixes) against England in only his eighth T20 International for Australia.
3. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell’s all-out attack on Hobart has earned him and the Melbourne Stars the biggest scores in BBL history, with a 106-run thrashing of the Hurricanes on the eve of the playoffs.
Maxwell smashed an undefeated 154 from 64 balls at the MCG, slamming 22 boundaries and four sixes in the competition’s most devastating performance of hitting in history.
4. Jonathan Wells
Jonathan Wells, a compact opening batsman, made his first-class debut in 2008-09, scoring 98 against Victoria and 85 against New South Wales. However, he was unable to gain a regular spot in Tasmania’s batting order, and was frequently forced to play second XI and grade games.
In 2013-14, he was named Clarence Player of the Year, and he also became a regular member of the Hobart Hurricanes squad in the Big Bash League, hitting in the middle order.
5. D’Arcy Short
D’Arcy Short, a Northern Territory allrounder, surged into the public spotlight during the 2017-18 summer with a breakout season in BBL|07.
He relocated from Darwin to Perth to pursue a professional career, but after making his List A debut in 2011, he did not represent Western Australia again for another five years until injuries allowed him to play in the 2016 one-day cup.
6. Shaun Marsh
His ODI and Test debuts were equally brilliant, with an 81 against the West Indies earning him Man of the Match honours, and a magnificent 141 against Sri Lanka in his first Test. Some outstanding Test innings were followed by erratic play, which meant the left-hander failed to secure a regular berth in Australia’s Test team.
7. Moises Henriques
Moises Henriques, who was born in Portugal, is one of the NSW Blues’ most senior players, having earned his State debut in the summer of 2005/06. He made his debut for Australia in 2009 as an injury substitute for the One Day International tour of India, and he also played T20 cricket for his country later that year.
Henriques’ first Test opportunity came in 2013, when he was selected for a series against India in the subcontinent.
8. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis made his debut for Western Australia as a 19-year-old before moving to Victoria in 2012 in search of additional possibilities as a young player. It didn’t take long for the allrounder to make his impact in the Sheffield Shield, with a stunning 170 against Tasmania in the 2013-14 season, followed by topping his state’s run-scorers’ list in 2014-15.
9. Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade, the son of former Hawthorn player Scott Wade and cousin of AFL star Jeremy Howe, was a superb footballer growing up in Tasmania before moving to Victoria to pursue his cricket career.
After overcoming testicular cancer at the age of 16, the wicketkeeper batsman arrived in Victoria with a new outlook on life and established himself as the first-choice wicketkeeper within two seasons.
10. Ben McDermott
Ben McDermott is the younger brother of Alister McDermott and the son of Australian fast bowling legend Craig McDermott. Ben, unlike the other two bowlers, chose a different course. He answered the call at an early age. Ben McDermott is a right-handed top-order batsman and part-time wicketkeeper. Ben struggled in domestic cricket throughout his time with the Queensland Bulls and signed a rookie contract with Tasmanian in 2014.