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Andrew McGlashan
Multiple Authors
Perth Scorchers 1 for 10 v Melbourne Stars 6 for 158 (Munro 49, Turner 39, Maddinson 2-8) – No Result
Rain in Launceston meant the first abandoned game of the BBL season as the points were shared between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.
The Stars will probably have been the happier with that: having been set a demanding 76 in six overs in an adjusted chase, they had lost Marcus Stoinis lbw the ball before the rain returned to end the game.
The Scorchers’ innings was halted at 17 overs and they had been hauled back by the Stars attack after a stand of 70 in five overs between Colin Munro and Ashton Turner and put then on track to push 200.
Hatching a plan
Speaking to the television coverage, Glenn Maxwell said he had hoped to use a lot of spin in the first half of the innings but he had to adjust things when Tom O’Connell – who would be subbed out at the 10-over mark in favour of Ben Dunk – and Clint Hinchliffe went for 32 between them in the space of two overs. Liam Hatcher was brought on before Maxwell really wanted, but made an immediate impression when he had Joe Clarke – who had sped to 34 off 16 balls after being missed on 9 – caught behind, then trapped Mitchell Marsh lbw first ball. However, replays showed the Marsh lbw was missing leg stump which reignited the lack-of-DRS-debate, with Adam Gilchrist being especially vocal on Twitter.
That Mitch Marsh decision would have taken one replay to prove it’s not out, at no extra cost than the tv cameras already at ground. And at best, 30 seconds of time. https://t.co/teRFg6vFaM
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) December 16, 2020
Turning it on
Turner averaged 12.28 from seven innings in last year’s BBL and has drifted well down the Australia reckoning but he remains a very fine middle-order limited-overs batman. In the space of seven balls against Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright he struck five sixes, with the latter’s over costing 23 and the Stars may have regretted subbing out a bowler in O’Connell. However, the innings was turned around by Nic Maddinson’s occasional left-arm spin as he had Turner caught behind off a pull – a juggling catch for Stars debutant Nicholas Pooran – and then Munro picked out deep midwicket. In between an over from Nathan Coulter-Nile cost just seven and when Billy Stanlake removed Aaron Hardie the innings was threatening to subside.
Chase on, chase off
After a lengthy delay the rain briefly cleared enough for a six-over chase which left plenty of people checking the playing conditions about what would happen to the Bash Boost (the answer was that the point was shared). In the end it didn’t matter: the weather only allowed seven balls, with the only real impact being on Stoinis’ average when he was beaten for pace by Jhye Richardson.
