Big Bash League Archives

‘I will always keep Australian cricket first, then franchise cricket’ Starc

MELBOURNE: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has confirmed his unavailability for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season as he aimed to prioritize his fitness for national duty over league cricket.

Starc announced that he would not be available for this year’s edition of BBL because of the Australian cricket team’s busy schedule for the next 18 months, as reported by cricket.com.au.

The 32-year-old speedster claimed that he always prioritized Australia Cricket over any franchise league.

“My approach to the IPL, BBL, I have looked at the Australian schedule and wanting to be as fit and well-performed for that as I can,” he said.

“I will always keep Australian cricket front of mind, and then franchise cricket (second),” he added.

Meanwhile, the Australian side has a tight schedule for the next few months before the T20 World Cup at home, scheduled in October-November. The team is currently on their tour of Sri Lanka, and will then engage in bilateral limited-over series against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, India, England, and West Indies.

It is pertinent to mention here that pacer Starc has recently faced a finger injury ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka and was subsequently ruled out of the series.

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Big Bash League introduces draft system to attract overseas T20 stars

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the introduction of a draft system for the upcoming Big Bash League, permitting the franchises to select up to three overseas players.

The BBL confirmed the introduction of a four-tier draft structure after facing two years delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic in order to attract T20’s megastars to Australia for the 2022-23 edition.

BBL teams will pick their international stars for BBL|12 in a brand new Draft!
Here's how it's all gonna work ➡️

The date of the Draft will be announced soon 👀 head to https://t.co/m11ahuhv5F to stay up to date!#BBL12Draft

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) June 22, 2022

CA has stated that the draft will take place in the coming months while the nominations have opened worldwide, promising global competitive rates for the nominated players.

Explaining the working of the newly introduced draft system, BBL announced via its official Twitter handle that players will nominate themselves online for either part or the entire tournament. They can nominate for three salary categories: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The BBL will then elevate the biggest names to Platinum status.

Clubs will choose players in an order decided via a weighted lottery. The first weighted lottery to determine selections one, two, and three will include the three clubs that did not advance to the KFC BBL|11 Finals. The five finalists from the previous season will then be chosen for choices four through eight.

There will be four rounds in the draft, with one pick for each Club, which are permitted to skip some rounds, but by the end of round four, each club must choose a minimum of two and a maximum of three participants.

Each team is allowed one Retention Pick, which can be used in any round of the Draft. If a player has been part of the Club the previous season, they are eligible for retention.

Each Club’s BBL squad will consist of 18 players, with two or three overseas players selected from the Draft while the rest must be domestic players. Clubs will be able to sign up to five replacement overseas players after the conclusion of the Draft. To be an eligible replacement overseas, a player must have been nominated for the Draft, unless approved by the League.

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Hasnain’s action declared legal, allowed to resume bowling

LAHORE: Pakistan’s right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain’s bowling action has been cleared after verification of test reports of his action by the Cricket Australia’s independent experts, paving the way for the young pacer to resume bowling in all forms of cricket.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Hasnain’s bowling action has been declared legal as the amount of elbow extension in the reassessment was found within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations.

The 22-year-old can now resume bowling in all forms of cricket, including domestic cricket worldwide, announced PCB.

Hasnain underwent reassessment of his bowling action on May 21 at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) accredited testing centre in Lahore. The PCB sent test reports to Cricket Australia on June 4 for verification by the independent experts, as per the ICC regulations.

Hasnain was reported for a suspected bowling action during Big Bash League in Australia in January 2022. He was suspended from bowling after Cricket Australia’s independent experts found his bowling action to be illegal following tests conducted on his bowling action at ICC accredited testing centre in Lahore.

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Evans, Tye drive Scorchers to the fourth BBL title

MELBOURNE: Perth Scorchers thumped Sydney Sixers by 79 runs in the Big Bash League (BBL) final; lifting their fourth title, here on Friday.

Batting first, the Scorchers posted a commendable 172-runs target despite starting poorly. The side was off to an unlikely start; losing four wickets for just 25 runs. The skipper – Ashton Turner and Laurie Evans, however, fought hard and steered the sinking ship to the coast.

The pair recorded a magnificent 104-runs partnership for the fifth wicket as both the batters scored valiant half-centuries. Turner fell short after scoring 54, while Evans remained unbeaten and kept the scoreboard ticking till the end.

Evans scored an astonishing 76 off just 41 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and as many sixes, while Turner too, smashed four boundaries and a massive six.

For the Sixers, Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe claimed two wickets each, while Hayden Kerr and Jackson Bird shared one wicket apiece.

Set to chase 172, the Sixers’ batting line-up failed completely and could only manage to score a paltry before being bowled out in the 17th over.

Daniel Hughes fought hard for the side but remained unlucky as the batter departed after scoring a valiant 42. His fighting innings ended by Mitchell Marsh, who ran out the batter with little assistance from the wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. The rest of the batters failed to contribute significantly and were dismissed cheaply.

For the Scorchers, Andrew Tye bagged three wickets while, Jhye Richardson took two, Jason Behrendorff, Turner, Peter Hatzoglou, and Ashton Agar struck out a batter each.

With this title victory, the Scorchers have now become the most successful BBL franchise; claiming four titles.

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Strikers thump Thunder, advance to the BBL Challenger

MELBOURNE: In the knock-out match of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL), Adelaide Strikers sealed a thrilling victory over Sydney Thunder by six runs, and advanced to BBL Challenger.

Strikers’ bowler – Harry Conway held his nerve calm to defend 14 runs in the final over; leaking only seven runs and picking two wickets to knock Thunder out of the title hunt.

Set to chase 185, the Thunder had a poor start to their innings; losing their first wicket for a mere 15. Alex Ross and Jason Sangha, however, anchored the innings with their half-centuries when the side was two down for 56 in the seventh over.

Ross scored 56 off 39 deliveries including four boundaries and a six before falling short to Conway. Sangha, on the other hand, held on for a little long and top-scored with his magnificent 61 off just 43 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and a six.

The duo appeared in top-notch but could not guide their side to the victory, while the rest of the Thunder batter failed to contribute significantly, resulting in the side losing the match by six runs in the end.

For the Strikers, Conway and Peter Siddle bagged two wickets each, while Matthew Short, Henry Thornton struck out a batter each.

Batting first, the Strikers managed to post a commendable total of 184/6 in the allotted 20 overs, thanks to the astonishing knock of Ian Cockbain, who top-scored for the side with his quickfire 65 off just 38 balls; smashing six boundaries and three sixes.

Short too, was impressive as the right-handed batter chipped in up the order to provide a solid foundation to the side. The 26-years-old scored a sensible 39 off 28 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and as many sixes.

With the valuable contribution from the rest of the Strikers batters, the side finished at 184/6 in 20 overs.

For Thunder, Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha claimed two wickets each, while Jason Sangha and Nathan McAndrew struck out a batter each.

Following this victory, the Strikers have advanced to the Challenger of the BBL and will lock horns with Sydney Sixers for the final spot.

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Scorchers crush Sixers, advance to the BBL Final

MELBOURNE: Perth Scorchers’ opener Josh Inglis scored a magnificent 79 before the bowlers crushed Sydney Sixers’ batting line-up; defeating the latter by 48 runs to advance to the final of the Big Bash League (BBL), here on Saturday.

The Scorchers’ bowlers wreaked havoc over the Sixers batting line-up and despite the late onslaught from Ben Dwarshuis, the side could only manage to score 141, in response to the Scorchers’ 189.

Set to chase 190, the Sixers’ top-order failed completely as the side lost half of their batters for a mere 33. Moises Henriques showed resistance with his 17 but, he too could not pull the Sixers out of the trouble.

Dwarshuis, down the order, put on a fight and scored a valiant 66 off just 28 deliveries, smacking seven boundaries and four sixes. However, with his departure in the last over, the Sixers bowled out for a mere 141; losing the qualifier by 48 runs.

For the Scorchers, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Ashton Agar, and Andrew Tye bagged two wickets each, while Peter Hatzoglou made one scalp each.

Batting first, the Scorchers openers provided a solid start to the side; putting on a terrific 120-runs partnership. The duo anchored the innings; scoring half-centuries. Kurtis Patterson, however, fell short after scoring a brilliant half-century, he scored a quick 64 off 41 deliveries, including five boundaries and three sixes.

Inglis, on the other hand, held on for quite long and top-scored with his astonishing 79. He faced 49 balls; smashing nine boundaries and a six.

With valuable contributions from the middle-order, the Scorchers finished at 189/3 in the allotted 20 overs.

For the Sixers, Hayden Kerr picked two wickets, while Steev O’Keefe struck out a batter.

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Strikers knock Hurricanes out of BBL with 22-run win

MELBOURNE: Adelaide Strikers defeated Hobart Hurricanes by 22 runs in the first eliminator of the ongoing edition of the Big Bash League (BBL); knocking the latter out of the tournament, here on Friday.

Strikers’ bowlers, led by Peter Siddle, displayed combined effort to bowl out the Hurricanes on 166; providing a comfortable victory to the side.

Set to chase 189, the Hurricanes batting line-up struggled throughout the innings and kept losing the wickets at a consistent rate; resulting in the side falling short off 22 runs, in the end. D’Arcy Short tried to turn things around with his gritty 56 off 34 balls, but, could not drive his side to the victory.

Apart from Short, only Caleb Jewell (35) made a valuable contribution as the rest of the batters scored cheaply.

Following this flop batting show, the Strikers’ bowlers bundled out the Hurricanes on 166. Siddle bagged four wickets, while Harr Conway and Henry Thornton claimed two wickets each. Fawad Ahmed and Matthew Short, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

Batting first, the Strikers had a brilliant start to their innings as the openers – Alex Carey and Short provided a solid 145-runs foundation. The duo batted brilliantly up the order, both scoring half-centuries; putting the Strikers into the commanding position.

Hurricanes’ bowler – Scott Boland, however, managed to break the partnership, dismissing Carey for 67 in the 15th over. The batter faced 45 deliveries and smashed eight boundaries before walking back to the pavilion.

Soon after, Short also departed in the next over as Wil Parker forced the batter to nick the ball straight into the gloves of Ben McDermott. Short top-scored with his berserk 89, facing only deliveries, laced with four boundaries and six sixes.

Following their departure, the Strikers’ middle-order collapsed and could only add 24 runs in the last four overs, losing four wickets.

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Maxwell’s record-breaking 154* guides Stars to a thumping victory in BBL

MELBOURNE: Glenn Maxwell – Melbourne Stars skipper went berserk to smash the highest individual score in Big Bash League (BBL) history to guide the Stars to a crushing victory over Hobart Hurricanes, here on Wednesday.

Batting first, the Stars recorded the highest-ever BBL score; by amassing 273/2 in the quota of 20 overs, thanks to Maxwell’s record-breaking 154*. The 33-years-old faced just 64 deliveries; smoking 22 boundaries and four sixes.

Marcus Stoinis too scored an unbeaten 75 to pile on the misery for the Hurricanes. He faced just 31 balls and smashed 10 boundaries including six sixes.

Following this remarkable feat by Maxwell and Stoinis, the Stars finished at the highest BBL score, that is 273/2 in 20 overs; setting a massive target for the Hurricanes.

For the Hurricanes, Josh Kann and Jordan Thompson managed to take one wicket apiece.

Set to chase 274 in 20 overs, the Hurricanes could only score 167/6 in the allotted overs. Despite Ben McDermott’s quick 55 and D’Arcy Short’s 41, the Hurricanes fell way short in the run chase; losing the match by a massive margin of 106 runs.

For the Stars, Brody Couch starred with the ball; taking three wickets, while Beau Webster, Tom O’Connell, and Clint Hinchliffe struck out a batter each.

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Boyce hat-trick in vain as Thunder clinch victory by one run in BBL

MELBOURNE: Cameron Boyce’s record-breaking hat-trick went in vain as Sydney Thunder defeated Melbourne Renegades by one run in the 55th match of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL).

Gurinder Sandhu held his nerve calm to successfully defend nine runs in the final over; leaking only seven runs including a six. He also claimed three wickets in the final over.

Set to chase 171, Renegades’ captain – Aaron Finch fought hard with his magnificent batting display; scoring 82 runs off 64 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and two sixes. However, remained unable to pull off the victory as the batter departed on the third delivery of the final over while trying to slog the ball over the midwicket boundary.

Apart from the skipper, only Unmukt Chand could manage to contribute significantly with his 29, while the rest of the batters dismissed cheaply.

For the Thunder, Sandhu bagged three wickets, while Tanveer Sangha took two. Daniel Sams, on the other hand, made one scalp.

Batting first, the Thunder had a brilliant start to their innings as the openers provided a solid 80-runs partnership for the first wicket until Boyce produced a remarkable turnaround; bagging four wickets in four balls including Alex Hales, who scored a brilliant 44 off just 22 balls, laced with seven boundaries and a six.

As a result, the Thunder slipped from 80/0 to 85/4. Soon after, Boyce also dismissed Matthew Gikes for two to dent the Thunder’s position in the match. Usman Khawaja, on the other hand, put on a stellar batting display to anchor the inning on his BBL return, the batter scored an astonishing 77 off 51 balls, including eight boundaries and a six.

Following Khawaja’s departure, Nathan McAndrew’s late cameo guided the Thunder to 170/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

For the Renegades, Boyce starred; taking a five-fer, while Josh Lalor and Zak Evans picked one wicket apiece.

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Rogers’ brilliance guide Hurricanes to victory in BBL

MELBOURNE: Hobart Hurricanes’ bowler Tom Rogers returned with a scintillating bowling figure of 3/35 to help the Hurricanes beat Melbourne Renegades by six runs in the 53rd match of the ongoing Big Bash League.

Set to chase 183, the Renegades fell six runs short despite Aaron Finch’s 75 as the Hurricanes bowlers held their nerves calm to restrict the home side for 176 in the allotted 20 overs.

At the toss, the Hurricanes elected to bat first. However, the side could not get off to an ideal start as they lost their first wicket for a mere 12 runs. Caleb Jewell and Matthew Wade then anchored the innings with a brilliant 67-runs partnership. The pair took the side to 79 in the 11th over before Jewell departed. He scored 35 off 28 balls and smoked three boundaries and a six.

Soon after, Wade also walked back to the pavilion after scoring 48; missing his half-century by just two runs. The left-handed batter faced 39 deliveries and hit four boundaries and a six.

Tim David’s late onslaught took the Hurricanes to 182/5 in their quota of 20 overs. David smashed a quickfire 46 off just 20 balls, laced with two boundaries and four sixes.

For the Renegades, Cameron Boyce and Josh Lalor bagged two wickets each, while Zak Evans made one scalp.

Renegades, set to chase 183, had a decent start to their innings as the opening pair of Finch James Seymour provided a 37-runs opening stand. Seymour, who was sailing the ball all over the park perished after scoring a quick 24 off 13 balls and smashed four boundaries and a six.

Following his departure, Finch then partnered with Shaun Marsh and the pair put on a century partnership for the second wicket. The Renegades appeared to be in a solid position but, Marsh perished after scoring a magnificent half-century. He scored 51 off 38 balls.

With the Marsh’s departure, the Renegades began to lose wickets at an alarming rate as the top-scorer for the side – Finch also walked back to the pavilion after scoring 75 off 52 balls. He smoked seven boundaries and a maximum, but, could not guide the Renegades to the victory.

For the Hurricanes, Rogers starred with the ball; taking three wickets, while Sandeep Lamichhane took two. Riley Meredith, on the other hand, bagged one wicket.

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