Renegades’ upset win sends BBL season down to wire

For the second straight season, the Melbourne Renegades grabbed a consolation victory on the final day of the Big Bash League regular season and in doing so ended the finals hopes of their opponents.

Zak Evans celebrates with teammates after dismissing Nathan Ellis.Credit:Getty

It has been a miserable couple of seasons for the Renegades since their incredible title-winning performance two summers ago but having beaten Brisbane Heat to finish the previous season, the Renegades beat the Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Tuesday, denying the Hurricanes a spot in the final five.

The Renegades’ win also ensured the regular season would go down to the wire, with their win keeping alive the finals chances of cross-town rivals the Melbourne Stars heading into their Tuesday night date with the Sydney Sixers, the second leg of a double-header at the ’G.

Sent in by the Hurricanes, the Renegades were on the canvas when they slumped to 4-49 in the ninth over. But they were rescued by Beau Webster, whose 54 not out from 35 balls turned the game against his former side. He was ably supported by Mackenzie Harvey (40 from 37 balls).

The Hurricanes’ stacked top-order never really got going as they pursued the Renegades’ 5-150, with Victorian young gun Zak Evans taking 5-33 en route to an 11-run win, with the Hurricanes finishing on 9-139.

Brisbane had earlier in the day booked one of the finals spots by taking all four points from their meeting with the top-placed Perth Scorchers at Adelaide Oval. Chris Lynn blasted 51 from 25 balls for the Heat but it was Marnus Labuschagne who had the Midas touch, making 46 from 38 balls before taking 3-35 from his four overs as the Heat successfully defended 7-181, keeping the Scorchers to 6-175 despite late fireworks from Mitch Marsh (54 not out from 26 balls).

FINCH’S FUNK

The end of the BBL season could not come quickly enough for Renegades skipper Aaron Finch, for whom this has been a Bashus horribilis. He’d endured several unlucky dismissals but misfortune could only account for so much of his highly unflattering set of numbers. It ended grimly with the bat on Tuesday as Finch drove Riley Meredith to Nick Winter at mid-off. After a close check for a front-foot no-ball, Finch trudged off for six from seven balls. He ended the campaign with 179 runs at 13.76, a high score of 39 and a strike rate of 113.29. Oh, and back-to-back wooden spoons. The year is still eminently redeemable for Finch, but it is imperative after months of bubble life that he recharges his batteries ahead of a Twenty20 international tour of New Zealand. The Australian white-ball captain remains the fourth-ranked batsman in the T20 world rankings and has World Cups in the format both this year and next – the latter on home soil and rescheduled from 2020 – on the horizon.

PETER NOT SO PERFECT

It was an unusual experience for Peter Handscomb on Tuesday, playing at the ’G but as an away team player. The Victorian captain, who joined the Hurricanes after nine seasons with the Stars, helped his former team’s cause by spilling a couple of outfield catches gifted by Harvey before making 19 with the bat.

HATZ OFF

Peter Hatzoglou has been the standout good news story in a dreary season for the Renegades. The leg-spinner, plucked from Premier Cricket, again made an impact on Tuesday, bowling the big-hitting Ben McDermott through the gate. The cult hero was understandably pumped about his scalp, but he might have been a touch over-exuberant, as teammate Shaun Marsh found out. Marsh was left to check his lip wasn’t bleeding after a stray celebration from the Victorian. Despite Hatzoglou’s success during the tournament, the Renegades have eschewed the chance to play fellow Premier Cricket gun Brayden Stepien. The Carlton wicketkeeper-batsman has been called up as a replacement player by the Renegades two seasons in a row but is yet to face a single ball in the competition.

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