Sydney Thunder have moved to the top of the Big Bash League ladder with a seven-run win in a rain-affected New Year’s Day clash against the Melbourne Renegades on the Gold Coast.
The Thunder claimed the victory by being seven runs clear of the par score of 110 when rain halted play at Carrara on Friday night.
Key points:
- Sydney Thunder have scored 2-117 off 12 overs to beat Melbourne Renegades in a rain-shortened match at Carrara
- The Thunder’s win has moved them above crosstown rivals Sydney Sixers to the top of the Big Bash table
- The Renegades remain on the bottom of the ladder, with just one win for the season so far
With play unable to resume, the Thunder claimed the win over the rock-bottom Renegades under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Former Test batsman Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 48, a vital innings that helped keep the Thunder ahead of the par score throughout their shortened chase.
Young Renegades debutant Mitch Perry (1-33) had an eventful introduction to Big Bash cricket.
English opener Alex Hales (45 off 19) smashed two sixes and two fours as he took 22 off Perry’s first five deliveries before a stunning catch by Mackenzie Harvey off the final delivery gave the 20-year-old his first wicket.
Perry bowled a wide full toss that appeared to be a front-foot no-ball.
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It wasn’t called by the umpires, however, and Hales tried to flay the ball to the boundary or the stands with a savage cut shot, only for Harvey to fling himself to his left and take an incredible flying catch.
Hales’ dismissal was the highlight of the Renegades’ bowling effort, with the defeat keeping them rooted to the bottom of the ladder.
Renegades’ captain Aaron Finch complained on Fox Sports as the teams left the field about the stadium scoreboard showing incorrect par scores.
“Obviously not ideal for Finchy,” coach Michael Klinger said.
“We knew on the boundary that we were behind, obviously we had the running sheet. For the captain on the field it’d be nice if they’d had it right but it was just (at the) last bit it started flashing a bit.
“At the end of the day it didn’t change the result, wouldn’t have changed what we did anyway in terms of who bowled and field placings, so it’s not a big deal.”
The Thunder’s fifth win from six matches takes them above the Sydney Sixers, with their crosstown rivals playing Brisbane on Saturday at the Gabba.
“We weren’t thinking about rain at all,” man-of-the-match Hales said.
“Just trying to get off to a good start is always going to be important and, yeah, tonight luckily it worked.”
Earlier, a brilliant innings by former Test batsman Shaun Marsh lifted the Melbourne Renegades to 6-166 off their 17 overs after they were sent in by the Thunder.
Marsh belted 87 off 48 balls, including five sixes, to become the top run-scorer in the tournament so far with 233 to his name, including three half-centuries.
The victory was the Thunder’s second in a week against the Renegades, after belting them by 129 runs on Boxing Day.
Nathan McAndrew was the pick of the Thunder bowlers with 3-41 off his four overs, including the wickets of Marsh and Mohammad Nabi (33 off 24) in the penultimate over of the innings.
AAP/ABC
