BBL: Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Stars in thrilling last-ball finish in Big Bash opener
- Published
Gurinder Sandhu helped Sydney Thunder get over the line in a remarkable finish against Melbourne Stars
Men's Big Bash League, Manuka Oval |
Melbourne Stars 122-8 (20 overs): Larkin 25 (26); Farooqi 2-20, Sams 2-21 |
Sydney Thunder 123-9 (20 overs): Ross 28 (27); Coulter-Nile 3-19, Webster 2-19 |
Thunder won by one wicket |
Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Stars by one wicket in a thrilling last-ball finish to a low-scoring Big Bash League opener.
Set 123 to win, Thunder needed eight from the last over with three wickets in hand but Beau Webster took two wickets in consecutive balls, including substitute fielder Brody Couch's stunning one-handed catch at long off to remove Chris Green.
Gurinder Sandhu then smashed the fourth ball of the over for six to level the scores, leaving Thunder needing one from two balls.
A dot ball followed and Sandhu played and missed at the final delivery, only for English wicketkeeper Joe Clarke to fail to gather and allow Thunder a bye to clinch victory in a remarkable curtain-raiser at Canberra's Manuka Oval.
The bowlers were on top throughout on a two-paced track and the Stars were soon under pressure after being asked to bat first as they lost both openers inside five overs.
Joe Burns and Marcus Stoinis were cleared to play despite both testing positive for Covid-19 before the game but the former was forced to retire hurt after appearing to pull his hamstring, while the latter was dismissed for a golden duck.
After scrambling to 122-8, the Stars made the ideal start with the ball when their new overseas signing Trent Boult removed Matthew Gilkes and Rilee Rossouw for ducks in his first over.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals through the innings, three of them to Nathan Coulter-Nile, but despite slumping to 57-5 and then 89-7, the Thunder snuck home.
Late drama gives Big Bash early boost
Ball dominated bat on a sticky Canberra surface
In a year when the Big Bash needs to make its mark, amid fresh competition from rival franchise Twenty20 competitions in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, for a long time it looked as though the tournament's 12th edition would start with a whimper.
The usual crash, bang, wallop associated with T20 cricket was nowhere to be seen - Stars hit only eight boundaries in their innings.
Even the wickets weren't particularly spectacular, with a lack of cartwheeling stumps or flying catches.
The Thunder innings was mostly similar, but all that will be forgotten thanks to an exhilarating conclusion that demonstrated the thrilling payoff low-scoring encounters can provide.
Flying catches? Stumps out of the ground? The ball sailing over the rope?
The last over had all that - Couch running and leaping to take a magnificent grab, Webster bowling Fazalhaq Farooqi and Sandhu's crucial blow for six - plus a final-ball finish.
You had to wait for it, but the Big Bash is back with a bang.