Renegades look to improve in 2015

By Robert Bremner

West Indian star Dwayne Bravo and captain Aaron Finch will lead the Renegades into battle during the 2015 Big Bash League season.

Joining Bravo and Finch at the club will be ex-Stars wicket keeper Matthew Wade and New Zealand international Jesse Ryder.

Rounding out the current Renegades squad are batsman Callum Ferguson, Tom Cooper, Ben Rohrer, Alex Doolan and all rounder Aaron O’Brien. The team also has bowlers Jayde Herrick, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed and James Pattinson – most of who are returning players from the previous season.

Coach Simon Helmot will take the reins again for BBL season four, while James Brayshaw remains as chairman.

In further good news for the boys in red, their major sponsor True Value Solar has signed on with the Renegades for two more years.

Experienced spinner Michael Beer of the Perth Scorchers had the opportunity to become a Renegade but ultimately chose the Melbourne Stars as his home for the summer. The Stars swapped him with leg-spinner James Muirhead as part of the first ever Big Bash League trade.

In the lead-up to their first game the Renegades will compete in a family day practise match in Maribyrnong. They will square off against the Bartercard Victoria Premier All Stars team in preparation for the upcoming season.

The practise match will be held on December 14 and is free for all to attend.

The Renegades will be hoping this season will be more successful than the previous year. Melbourne finished in sixth place with three wins and five losses, while the Perth Scorchers went on to win the title.

The Melbourne Renegades begin their season on December 19 against the Sydney Sixers but will have to wait until January 3 to have their first crack at taking on the Melbourne Stars in the local derby.

The 2015 Big Bash League season continues throughout January, finishing with the final at Manuka Oval in Perth on January 28.