Tag: Big Bash League

CARRARA: The Big Bash League (BBL) franchise – Brisbane Heat rocked by a devastating COVID-19 outbreak, with 12 players testing positive for the virus, preventing the team from competing against Sydney Sixers.

The BBL is struggling with a COVID-19 dilemma after 12 Brisbane Heat players tested positive, leaving the club incapable to deploy a playing-XI for tonight’s match against the Sydney Sixers. After returning with 12 positive cases, the side has been forced to search for replacements.

Due to the postponement, Perth Scorchers will play the Sixers on Tuesday night, while the Heat will play the Sixers on Wednesday.

Cricket Australia (CA), however, issued a statement that the Heat will still be playing their fixture against Melbourne Renegades, tomorrow.

It is apropos to mention here that the clash between the Scorchers and Melbourne Stars was also postponed last week, following the COVID-19 outbreak in the Stars’ camp.

READ: Glenn Maxwell tests COVID-19 positive amid BBL chaos

CARRARA: Perth Scorchers’ combined bowling effort helped the table-toppers to defeat Sydney Sixers by 10 runs in the 38th match of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). 

The Scorchers’ Andrew Tye held his never calm and negated the all-round onslaught from the Sixers’ Dan Christian. The right-handed batter scored a fighting 73 in the run chase, but, fell short of Tye’s brilliant slower bouncer; handing a straightforward catch to the substitute fielder.

The side then needed 18 runs off the last over, but, could only manage to score seven; losing the match by 10 runs.

Set to chase an average 144-runs in 20 overs, the Sixers struggled throughout the innings. None of their batters could make a significant impact with the bat, and the side, eventually, restricted to 133/8. Christian, on the other hand, proved out to be the lone-warrior; smashing a stunning 73 off 61 balls, laced with five boundaries and four sixes.

For the Scorchers, Tye and Tymal Mills, each claimed three wickets, while Lance Morris bagged two wickets.

Batting first, the Scorchers too, failed to go big with the bat. The side also struggled against the opposition’s bowling attack and could only manage to post 143 in their allotted 20 overs. Ashton Agar scored a valuable 29, followed by the top-scorer for the side – Aaron Hardie, who scored a quickfire 45 off just 24 balls; smashing three boundaries and two sixes.

For the Sixers, Hayden Kerr starred; picking up four wickets, while Christian bagged two. Jackson Bird and Sean Abbott, on the other hand, shared on wicket apiece.

READ: Ebadot Hossain anchors Bangladesh in first Test against New Zealand

MELBOURNE: Melbourne Renegades claimed their second victory of the ongoing edition of Big Bash League (BBL), thanks to their bowlers who bowled out Melbourne Stars for 125 in the first innings.

The Renegades’ bowling attack wreaked havoc over the Stars batting line-up; dismissing them for a paltry 125. Later, their batters chased down the target with five wickets in hand in 18 overs.

Batting first, the Stars had a poor start to their inning; losing their first wicket for just 13. Travis Dean and Charlie Wakim, on the other hand, resisted a bit, but, could not partner for long, as Wakim departed after scoring 12.

The Stars then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate, with none of their batters could able to go big; the side, in the end, bundled out for a skimpy 125. Hilton Cartwright top-scored, with his 41. He faced 29 balls, including four boundaries and a six.

For the Renegades, Kane Richardson, Reece Topley, and Nid Maddinson starred; each taking three wickets. Jack Prestwidge, on the other hand, made one scalp.

Set to chase 126, the Renegades too, fumbled in the start; losing their first wicket for just 10. However, the skipper – Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh partnered strongly to keep their side out of trouble. The pair added 63 runs for the second wicket before Marsh departed. He managed to score 21 off 17 balls, including two boundaries.

Finch, on the other hand, put on his half-century and departed soon after, as Pakistani speedster – Haris Rauf took a blinder at the long-on boundary. For his individual score of 50, Finch faced 40 deliveries; smoking three boundaries and two sixes.

Following his dismissal, the side then slipped to 91/5, as Mohammad Nabi bagged a golden duck. Mackenzie Harvey and James Seymour, however, held their nerves calm and took their side over the line with 12 balls to spare.

Harvey scored a sensible 23, while Seymour scored an important 17.

For the Stars, Tom O’Connell claimed two wickets, while Qais Ahmad, Ahmed Daniyal, and Rauf shared one wicket apiece.

With the second victory in the ongoing edition of BBL, the Renegades have switched places with the Stars; claiming the sixth position.

READ: Top five performances of Mohammad Hafeez’s career

MELBOURNE: Perth Scorchers’ Kurtis Patterson and Colin Munro starred with the bat before bowlers drive the side to their seventh victory in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) against Melbourne Stars.

Set to chase 181, in the 31st match of the ongoing tournament, the Stars could only score 130 all-out; losing their fourth match of the season.

The Stars had a decent start to their run-chase, the opening pair put on an incredible 78-runs partnership. The duo appeared solid and looked to take the game away from the Scorchers before Joe Clarke dismissed after scoring a brilliant half-century. He faced just 32 balls; smoking nine boundaries and a six.

Soon after, Clarke’s opening partner – Thomas Rogers also dismissed by Peter Hatzoglou. Rogers scored a valiant 32 off 25 balls, laced with four boundaries and a six. Hatzoglou then dismissed the Stars’ skipper – Glenn Maxwell for four, in his next over.

Maxwell’s dismissal initiated the collapse of the home side. The Stars slipped from 95/2 to 130 all-out.

For the Scorchers, Tymal Mills starred; taking three wickets, while Tye and Hatzoglou each took two. Ashton Agar and Jason Behrendorff, on the other hand, shared one wicket apiece.

Batting first, the Scorchers had a contrasting start with the bat; losing their first wicket for just 27. Patterson and Munro, however, stood up for their side, recorded an astonishing 68-runs partnership. Munro fell short after scoring a quickfire 40 off 20 balls, laced with a boundary and four sixes.

Patterson, on the other hand, kept going and went on to score a terrific half-century, he scored 54 off 39 balls; smoking four boundaries and two sixes.

With Ashton Turner’s handy cameo of 27, at the death. The Scorchers managed to post 180/8, in their allotted 20 overs.

Following this triumph, the Scorchers have consolidated their top position, while the Stars remained at sixth.

READ: Hasnain, Gikes power Thunder to victory in BBL

SYDNEY: Matthew Gikes, the Sydney Thunder’s put on a brilliant batting display before the pacer Mohammad Hasnain’ brilliant spell guided the home side to seal a convincing victory against Adelaide Strikers in Big Bash League (BBL).

Matthew Gikes scored a magnificent 93 to assist the Thunder to post a commendable total of 172/7. Later it was Pakistan’s speedster – Hasnain’s show, who returned with a match winning figures of 3/20 in his four overs; including a three-wickets maiden, in his BBL debut.

Following the right-arm-pacer’s brilliance, the Strikers, bundled out for 144 in the run chase; losing the match by 28 runs.

Batting first, the Thunder had a brilliant start to their innings, the openers posted an astonishing partnership of 64 runs for the first wicket. The duo was looking solid, but, Ben Cutting departed after scoring 34. He faced just 25 balls and smoked three boundaries and two sixes.

The side then began to lose their batters cheaply, but, Gikes stood firm at another end, and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly. He faced only 57 balls for his individual score of 93; including nine boundaries and three sixes.

For the Strikers, Wes Agar and Peter Siddle each claimed three wickets, while Rashid Khan made one scalp.

Set to chase 173, the Strikers’ batting line-up struggled completely, with none of their batter could able to go deep. The side crashed to 144 all-out. Matt Renshaw scored, 30 followed by the top-scorer for the visiting side, Harry Nielsen. He scored 39 off 31 balls, laced with four boundaries and a six.

For the Thunder, Hasnain claimed three wickets, while Saqib Mahmood and Jason Sangha picked two wickets each. Daniel Sams and Chris Green, on the other hand, shared one wicket apiece.

Following this victory, the Thunder have now claimed the third position on the points table, while the Strikers are in seventh.

READ: Sangha goes hard as Thunder defeat Strikers in BBL

ADELAIDE: Big Bash League (BBL) franchises – Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars hit with four and 15 new COVID-19 cases, respectively.

As per Cricket Australia (CA), four playing members of the Thunder tested positive ahead of their fixture against Adelaide Strikers. The cricketing body, however, gave the green signal for the New Year’s Eve match to proceed as per the schdule.

The four Thunder players have isolated themselves until they returned a negative result.

On the other hand, the Stars are facing an anxious wait after reporting 15 cases among their players and support personnel, with their next match against Perth Scorchers on January 2 at St Kilda’s Junction Oval.

Taking to Twitter, the official website of the CA, shared the news of the COVID-19 outbreak in the playing camps.

JUST IN: Eleven players across two BBL clubs have tested positive for COVID-19 as urgent discussions take place ahead of scheduled matches. https://t.co/av0hxIyOg2

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 31, 2021

It is apropos to mention here that the last night’s clash between the Stars and the Scorchers was postponed; following a COVID-19 positive case in the home side’s camp.

READ: Australia’s Travis Head tests COVID-19 positive

MELBOURNE: The 27th match of the Big Bash League (BBL) between Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers, postponed; following a COVID-19 positive case in the home side’s camp, on Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon, a Stars support staff member returned a positive test, exposing numerous members of the team’s playing group.

All the Stars players and staff who had contact with the positive case underwent PCR tests as soon as possible, according to Cricket Australia (CA), but the results were not retrieved in time for the match to go ahead.

Pakistan’s speedster, Haris Rauf, who joined the Stars recently, was set to play his first match today.

Earlier, another Pakistani player, Shadab Khan, who joined the Sydney Sixers for the remainder of the BBL 11, had to isolate himself. The leg-spinner, who played his first match of the season yesterday, has been unable to join the squad.

Shadab, also could not share the dressing room with his teammates. The bio-secure bubble also forced the leggie to practice separately for the last night’s clash against the Brisbane Heat.

It is worth noting that England’s camp in Australia for the ongoing Ashes series has been rocked by the seventh positive COVID-19 case.

English head coach – Chris Silverwood’s family member contracted the widely spread virus; forcing the coach to isolate himself for 10 days. Assistant coach – Graham Thorpe will take Silverwood’s place in the fourth Test; starting from January 5 in Sydney.

In addition, match referee David Boon, too, contracted the virus and will miss the forthcoming fourth Test between the arch-rivals.

READ: COVID-19 keeps denting England’s camp during the Ashes

SYDNEY: Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis held their nerves calm to seal the victory for the Sydney Sixers on the final ball of the match against Brisbane Heat.

The Sixers only needed two runs in the final over of the low scoring contest. Xavier Bartlett, however, made it difficult for the hosts; bowling four dots off the first five balls, but, Abbot, held his nerve calm to score a run on the final delivery.

Set to chase a paltry 106 in 20 overs, the Sixers batting line-up fumbled; losing eight wickets for just 47 runs in the 13th over. However, Abbott and Dwarshuis showed fightback and recorded a match winning partnership of 59-runs, to help their side clinch the victory.

Abbott, top-scored with his valiant 37 off 43 balls, laced with two boundaries and as many sixes, while Dwarshuis scored 23 off 20; smashing three boundaries.

For the Stars, Jack Wildermuth, James Bazley, and Bartlett, each claimed two wickets, while Mujeeb Ur Rehman picked up a wicket.

Batting first, the Stars’ batters, too, struggled throughout the innings, with none of their batters could go big; resulting in Stars being bowled out for a skimpy 105. Max Bryant scored 22, followed by their top-scorer, Wildermuth, who scored 27 off 26 balls.

For the Sixers, Abbott starred; picking four wickets. Dwarshuis and Hayden Kerr, on the other hand, claimed two wickets, while Dan Christian made one scalp.

Following this victory, the Sixers have claimed the top position, while the Heat are in fifth place.

READ: McDermott’s century helps Hurricanes crush Stars in BBL fixture

MELBOURNE: In the 26th match of the ongoing edition of Big Bash League (BBL), Ben McDermott scored a magnificent century to help Hobart Hurricanes hand a crushing defeat to Melbourne Stars.

Hurricanes’ batter, McDermott scored a remarkable century; scoring 127 off just 65 to set the tone for the victory, the side, in the end, defeated the hosts by a massive margin of 85 runs.

Set to chase, 207, the Stars batting line-up struggled completely. Apart from Sam Harper, who scored a valiant half-century, none of their batter could able to make an impact with the bat. The Stars, eventually, bundled out for a paltry 121.

Harper top-scored with his 57 off just 35 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes. Jake Fraser-McGurk scored the second most runs in the run-chase; scoring only 21.

The Hurricanes’ bowlers were on song, with Tom Rogers and Sandeep Lamichhane each taking three wickets. Whereas, Riley Meredith and D’Arcy Short shared one wicket apiece.

Batting first, the Hurricanes’ start of their innings, also halted by a poor start; losing three wickets for just 52 runs. McDermott and Peter Handscomb, however, put on a remarkable partnership of 115-runs. Handscomb fell short after scoring 24 off 20 balls, hitting two boundaries.

McDermott, on the other hand, kept scoring the runs for his side and put on his second century of the ongoing season. He became only the third batter to score two centuries in a single season of BBL. The opening batter smoked nine boundaries and as many sixes.

Later in the innings, Tim David played a crucial blinder; scoring a quickfire 30 off just nine balls; smashing one boundary and four sixes. With his contribution, the Hurricanes, finished at 206/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

With this victory, the Hurricanes moved up to the third position, while Stars remained at the sixth.

READ: Sydney Thunder push Perth Scorchers to their first defeat in BBL

CANBERRA: Sam Billings’ brilliance helped Sydney Thunder beat Perth Scorchers by 34 runs; handing the Scorchers their first defeat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL).

Chasing 201, in the 24th match of the BBL, the Scorchers’ batters failed to get their side over the line. The side had a poor start to their inning; losing the first three wickets for just 17 runs.

The scorchers continued to lose wickets at a consistent pace, but, Colin Munro, on the other hand, showed fightback. The batter scored an unbeaten 64 off 43 balls, including six boundaries. But, Munro’s heroics too, could not drive the side to victory.

Later, Andrew Tye played a blinder; scoring 44 off just 25 balls, but, fell short. He smashed three boundaries and as many sixes. With no significant contribution from the fellow-batters, the side, in the end, restricted to 166/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

For Thunder, Nathan McAndrew starred; picking three wickets, while Chris Green and Saqib Mahmood each took two wickets. Daniel Sams, on the other hand, bagged one wicket.

Batting first, the Thunder also started their innings poorly, the side lost their opener – Matthew Gikes at a combined score of five. Soon after, Alex Hales, too, dismissed cheaply after scoring just 13. The thunder slipped to 23/2 in the fourth over.

Jason Sangha and Billings then batted brilliantly and partnered strongly, to set the tone for the Thunder to post a commendable total of 200 in their allotted 20 overs. The pair put on an astonishing 113-runs partnership.

Both Sangha and Billings scored magnificent half-centuries. Sangha scored an unbeaten 56 off 46 balls, laced with five boundaries, followed by the top-scored and the player of the match – Billings, who smashed a terrific 67 off just 35 balls, including 10 boundaries and two sixes.

With small but important contributions from the batting tail, the Thunder finished at 200/7 in their sixth match of the ongoing tournament.

For the Scorchers, Matthew Kelly picked three wickets for 30, while Mitchell Marsh bagged two wickets. Jason Behrendorff and Tye, on the other hand, shared one wicket apiece.

Following this victory, the Thunder moved up to the fourth position, while the Scorchers remained at the top.

READ: Scorchers edge past Renegades to stay unbeaten in BBL