And with a $500 Hip Pocket Workwear & Safety Shepparton voucher up for grabs for the victor, there is no way you can do too much research before selecting your 12-player squad.
As a reminder of the rules, your 12 players must be comprised of three players from each Crane Aid GVBBL franchise — the Cobram Panel Works Panthers, SRP Mud Dogs, Jarvis Delahey Crushers and Hurley's Hotel Hounds.
You may select one of the franchise captains and two marquees, but they must all be from separate outfits, while two trades are allowed in between rounds to adjust your squad.
Before lockout you need to select a team captain to snare double points, a vice-captain as their back-up and designate a 12th man as an emergency.
Points are awarded for runs (one point), catches (five), unassisted wickets (15), assisted wickets (10), unassisted run-outs (10), assisted run-outs (five), stumpings (10), three-wicket hauls (15) and half-centuries (15).
On the agenda today is assessing which franchise marquees will fit best in your line-up.
Cobram Panel Works Panthers
Tarisai Musakanda and Wian Van Zyl: How do you choose between a Zimbabwean international and a South African master blaster? Musakanda's international experience probably puts him ahead, while a sparkling 139 not out from 122 deliveries earlier in the season for New City showcased what he can do at the local level. Van Zyl's record with the bat for Cobram is simply astonishing, with 1356 runs at an average of 75.33, three centuries (including two double tons) and seven half-centuries in just 22 knocks. Where the opener finds the edge on his fellow marquee is with the ball, claiming 24 wickets at 12.25 for the Tigers.
Hurley's Hotel Hounds
James Nanopoulos and Tom Donnell: High water marks of 7-43 with the ball and 96 not out from 64 balls with the bat in the top tier of Victorian cricket with Dandenong this season make Nanopoulos an enticing selection in GVBBL Fantasy teams. Look for him to lead the Hounds with the ball and play a Ben Cutting-type role late in the innings with the bat. Donnell will therefore fly under the radar and could be a great point of difference pick. He is averaging just shy of 30 this season for Dandenong, but has 12 centuries, 48 half-centuries and 8576 runs in his time at the club.
Jarvis Delahey Crushers
Richard Oliver and Peter Cassidy: English import Oliver has ridiculous numbers for Geelong City this season, with an overall total of 574 at 71.75 — including four tons. But in Twenty20 matches those statistics skyrocket to 222 at 222 thanks to scores of 69 not out, 111 and 42 not out. Cassidy's prowess for Dandenong is with ball in hand, taking 17 wickets at 22.12 in 14 matches this campaign.
SRP Mud Dogs
Hamish Winter-Irving and Mark Nolan: Some early team news has allowed this head-to-head to be an easy call — if you want a Mud Dogs marquee in round one, Mark Nolan is your man. Co-coach Rohan Larkin revealed to The News yesterday that Winter-Irving would be one of the four players missing out at Barooga on Sunday as part of an overall squad rotation approach. Nolan's credentials as reigning Cricket Shepparton Lightfoot medallist speak for themselves, and he is likely to bat in the top four and open the bowling at the weekend.
To submit your team, email sport@sheppnews.com.au before 11 am on Sunday.