BBL|11 - Derp's Megathread + General Discussions

[ddrap14]

15.2: Didn't look the cleanest hit by Peter Handscomb but he does find the gap at cow corner and gets four.
15.6: Better strike from Handscomb this time to find a straight four.

16.5: WICKET! Handscomb departs after playing a few encouraging shots. That's also one, but he picks Maxwell unfortunately. Webster with a wicket. 5/138

17.4: Maxwell misses one. It was a big high ball from Darcy Short and he just couldn't quite get there.

18.3: Another touch chance goes down! Coulter-Nile dives in to try and take a superman catch but can't. Arguably shouldn't have with the Hurricanes 130 behind with nine balls left.
18.5: Tim David doing Tim David things. Big six over square leg.

19.1: Short has looked good in parts this innings. Splitting mid wicket and square leg (we needed one reference this game) for a boundary was one such occasion.
19.4: WICKET! Maxwell finally holds one. This is a straightforward shell to deep mid wicket by David. Couch with his 16th wicket - an outstanding rookie season. 6/164
Hurricanes finish with 6/167. A good batting effort from them (they actually beat the average winning score at the MCG, minus such a mad innings from Maxwell) but this game will only be remembered for one thing: Glenn Maxwell. He creieves more congratulations from his teammates, the umpires and the batsmen Parker and D'Arcy Short, and deservedly so. Maxwell will be man of the match, so with that, the BBL regular season is over and I'll see you in two nights for the playoffs.

 

[Umair7]

Why do so many part-time spinners bowl in the Powerplay in the BBL? Don't see it much elsewhere, maybe in England?

Maxwell & Stoinis were great but HH decided to rest Rogers & Meredith with Ellis & Paris injured (only one main bowler was playing - Sandeep) so we didn't really have much option! Also, shit gets wickets (not today)

 

[Bevab]

@CerealKiller bigger grounds favouring the spinners perhaps. Think I saw Kimber conclude once that teams don't go as hard as they should in the powerplay too. I assume analysts have picked upon this and have advised teams to bowl a part-time spinner right at the beginning to get an over away (at par in the worse case scenario) for insurance if one of the frontline bowlers get hit.

Maxi proving just why he is one of the greatest T20 cricketers ever. Special, special player.

 

[ddrap14]

Think I saw Kimber conclude once that teams don't go as hard as they should in the powerplay too.

Kimber may think this, but I've seen the Heat lose five for not many way too many times to deduce that the other teams have their blend of aggression right

 

[ddrap14]

Missed this btw - nice read:

 

[ddrap14]

BBL Season Summary
Melbourne Renegades
Position: 8th on 16 points

Most Runs: Aaron Finch (406)... next up Mac Harvey (231), Shaun Marsh (202)
Most Wickets: Kane Richardson (19)... next up Zahir Khan (12), Cam Boyce (10)

What happened: Everything went wrong. Aaron Finch found his form again, but after holding off the Strikers on opening night thanks to a inspired catch from Jake Fraser-McGurk, Team Red lost six in a row and only got points from the Bash Boost point, a no result (that nearly cost the Sixers second on the table) and two wins over COVID-ravaged teams. 16 points flattered them.

What's good: Finch. Mac Harvey showed signs when he wasn't being batted around the order like a ball of yarn that he has what it takes to be the long term opening partner for Finch, while Cam Boyce returned from a two year long absence due to injury and illness and took 10 wickets in 4 games. Shaun Marsh also missed most of the tournament but looked good when he came back and would have passed 400 runs had he had a full season (on pace), and Kane Richardson was in elite form before leaving for personal reasons. James Seymour and Jono Merlo showed their inexperience but they do look like potential future contributors (Merlo's reverse sweep is HOT)
What's not: Most other things! Sam Harper showed flashes but still doesn't have consistency. Most international signings were busts (Zahir was inconsistent, Toply came on late but struggled early, and not much was seen from the rest), Maddinson did okay with the ball but didn't show his potential with the bat, a lot of the seam bowlers didn't go to plan, and youngsters Fraser-McGurk, Jack Prestwidge and Will Sutherland struggled heavily. But the biggest issue? Late order batting. Seymour and Merlo are still young, Fraser-McGurk did very littl, and the loss of Dan Christian and Mohammad Nabi (or at least Nabi's form from BBL08 and BBL09) was felt heavily.

What to do to improve? They need better tactics, for one. They tried five different opening partners for Finch I think, and they need to settle on one - preferably Harper or Harvey. They also need to sign a finisher - Mohammad Nabi is no longer that man from what I've seen of his batting in the last two seasons. Late order batting wouldn't have made them finals, but they would have been significantly better off in the points column (and probably sixth in the standings column) if they could finish off the last two games. Also, play Zak Evans instead of Lalor!

Possible Lineup:
1. Aaron Finch
2. Mac Harvey
3. Shaun Marsh
4. Sam Harper
5. Nic Maddinson
6. James Seymour
7. (finisher, overseas)
8. James Pattinson
9. Cameron Boyce
10. Kane Richardson
11. Zak Evans
Reserves: Jon Merlo, Jake Fraser McGurk, Will Sutherland, other internationals, Jack Prestwidge

 

[ddrap14]

BBL Season Summary
This one's going to make me bloody depressed
Brisbane Heat
Position: 7th on 16 points

Most Runs: Ben Duckett (302)... next up Sam Heazlett (266), Max Bryant (230)
Most Wickets: Mark Steketee and James Bazley (12)... next up X Bartlett (11)

What happened: They showed some promise at times - posting 210 against the Strikes in particular - but the Heat lost seven in a row to finish and continued to mostly boom or bust. Covid didn't help, but it did show which players are expendable and who should be signed permanently.

What's good: The Heat found plenty of valuable contributors throughout the year. Ben Duckett is an international who we need to resign. Bowling often didn't show penetration, but Bazley and Bartlett continued to be finds and it was mainly the absences of Swepson and Neser for much of the season that caused that. Additionally, Heazlett and Max Bryant showed good form either side of the COVID interruptions. And a lot of the replacement players seemed to actually want to play for the Heat badge, something many of the main players missed.
What's bad: A lot of players were not what was advertised. Before his strong last three games, Bryant was so poor he was benched. Heazlett and Tom Cooper didn't show spine in the absence of their teammates - Heazlett ran out of form, while Tom Cooper proved why he is a shit cricketer. Mujeeb didn't show so much as usual during the tournament, but the biggest letdown was Chris Lynn, who kept getting out in incredible ways a la Finchy last year, and only passed 50 once. The difference from Finchy? It's a contact year for Lynn and he could well leave. Some fans already want him gone.

What to do to improve? One - resign or replace Lynn. This is obvious. Two - try and get Swepson and Neser to play more. This is also obvious. Three - change the boom or bust batting tactic. Max Bryant seemed to understand it, but it's taken the others seven years to realise - and have they even realised yet?

Possible Lineup:
1. Chris Lynn or suitable replacement
2. Max Bryant
3. Ben Duckett
4. Sam Heazlett
(possibly slot in an OS allrounder here in place of Steketee)
5. James Peirson
6. James Bazley
7. Xavier Bartlett
8. Michael Neser
9. Mitch Swepson
10. Mark Steketee
11. Mujeeb ur Rahman
Reserves: Paddy Dooley, Will Prestwidge, David Grant, Matt Kuhnemann, Jack Wildermuth, Nathan McSweeney, Lachie Pfeffer

 

[ddrap14]

Strikers XI: 1 Alex Carey (wk), 2 Matt Short, 3 Ian Cockbain, 4 Travis Head, 5 Jonathan Wells, 6 Matthew Renshaw, 7 Thomas Kelly, 8 Henry Thornton, 9 Peter Siddle (capt.), 10 Harry Conway, 11 Fawad Ahmed.

Strikers X-factor subs: Jake Weatherald, Daniel Worrall.

Hurricanes XI: 1 Caleb Jewell, 2 Ben McDermott (wk), 3 Matthew Wade (capt.), 4 D'Arcy Short, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Tim David, 7 Jordan Thompson, 8 Tom Rogers, 9 Wil Parker, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Riley Meredith.

Hurricanes X-factor subs: Mitchell Owen, Mac Wright.

So, Carey, Head, Rogers, Boland and Meredith are all in. Sandeep's out with international duty for Hobart with Wil Parker retaining his spot as a result, while in a big call for Adelaide, Weatherald is dropped.

See you soon.

 

[ddrap14]

0.2: Carey's first BBL11 runs are a boundary! Hammers it to the midoff fence.

1.1: Extremely hard chance goes down. Backward point just gets a hand on a hard and high hit from Carey. Four runs though

2.1: Short takes toll on Rogers! Swings up and over mid wicket for four.
2.3: Four more for Carey! Lofts it back over Rogers' head.
2.4: And again, and maybe even better!
2.6: Short gets away with one! Massive top edge over the keeper's head finds the fence. 18 from the over

3.2: Carey goes straight again! This time just a bit wider but still four more.
3.6: Rogers' bad start gets worse! Short hits a skyball and Tom Rogers makes an utter meal of it, letting it slip through his hands. How big of a moment could that be with Short in lethal form?

0/52 from 5 and I have dinner

 

[ddrap14]

I return with the Cane Train dealing with an runaway on the track. 0/113 from 12.

12.4: WILL PARKER OH MY! He takes an amazing catch in the outfield, but has he thrown it back before he slides into the rope? Could it be out, or four, or six, or just a couple? Six. But a superhuman effort regardless. Ponting complaining about not bowling the fieldsman ignoring Short is robbing Thompson's overs instead

13.3: Carey goes straight and finds the rope again! As Short sped up, he slowed, but that was easy for him.
13.5: Speaking of Short and acceleration, he gets all over a long hop from Parker and sends it 85 metres!

14.1: The fielding nightmare continues for Hobart! Meredith lets one go straight through him for four at fine leg.
14.2: WICKET! They finally hold on to one! Carey hooks Boland straight down the throat of Thompson at deep backward square. One of their best outfielders, and he holds it. 1/145

1/149 from 15

 

[ddrap14]

15.2: Short goes huge! 96 metres straight back over Will Parker's head.
15.3: This time mid wicket! Short cruising towards a ton at the moment, and aside from that early and awful drop by Rogers, the Hurricanes haven't - can't - do anything about it.
15.6: WICKET! Or not. Short goes for 89. Huge top edge is held by Ben McDermott. 2/164

17.2: WICKET! Head's BBL return is not profitable. Picks out Handscomb at long on while trying to clear him. 3/169
17.4: WICKET! Cockbain's gone - picks out the man at deep mid wicket. The Hurricanes are suddenly holding catches and the Strikers suddenly can't clear the fence. 4/169

18.5: The Strikers will take that. 20 balls without a boundary, and an edge over the keeper brings up four runs all the same.

19.1: WICKET! Renshaw now holes out to midwicket. Strikers struggling to six over the MCG's long boundaries 5/179
19.5: WICKET! Straight up from Kelly and out. Strikers have really struggled to clear the rope. 6/184
6/188 from the innings thanks to a last ball paddle scoop boundary from Wells. Short and Carey played well - Short with his all-time best BBL score - but thanks to their star trio of quicks the Hurricanes pulled it back late. Hobart have momentum but 189 is a tough chase. See you soon

 

[ddrap14]

0.2: Flicked fine to fine leg by McDermott. Short needs to get onto line.
0.3: WICKET! IT'S THE BIG ONE! McDermott gets a big slice that carries directly to Siddle at long on! Adelaide elated, Hobart 1/6

2.1: Jewell with a lovely reverse paddle! Short goes to the rope.
2.4: More conventional, and more four.

3.3: Wade now finds the rope! He carves Siddle away over cover.
3.6: WICKET! The golden cap strikes! Wade goes for a big cover drive, gets most of it but doesn't get enough to send the ball anywhere other than exactly where Renshaw is. 2/28

2/33 from 5

 

[ddrap14]

5.2: Intent from Short! Takes Fawad straight back over his head, and all the way!

6.2: Little paddle scoop to the fence from Jewell. Nice shot.
6.3: Short gets targeted again! Jewell sends him straight and hits the rope on the full. He's bowled his four straight - credit to him here.

9.1: WICKET! Jewell tries to hook Conway but gets a thick edge from a slower bumper. Carey takes a simple catch. 3/67

3/72 from 10. Acceleration required

 

[ddrap14]

Surge taken.
12.1: Immediate boundary from Handscomb! He glances Siddle to the fine leg fence.
12.3: Nicked but they all count... four more.
12.4: Now Short gets that! Brutalised back past Siddle for four.

13.1: D'Arcy Long Back Over Conway's Head
13.3: Short is flowing! Again back down the ground and finds the fence again.
13.5: Doesn't matter how they come... four edged by Handscomb.

14.1: This is the Short of old! He drives a poor ball from Thornton up and over mid off to the rope.
14.3: WICKET! Ian Cockbain takes a great catch at long off! They finally put him out, and he takes a good catch running in from being right on the fence. Short goes after his best innings in the tournament. 4/122
14.4: WICKET! A much easier catch for Cockbain, Handscomb goes too (although he wasn't doing much other than edging anyway) and Thornton on a hattrick! That was a ball straight in the air. Tim David with it all to do now 5/122
Hattrick ball goes for two. Hobart 5/124 and need some Tim David magic now.

 

[ddrap14]

15.4: WICKET! Thompson does something the Strikers did a lot of in the late overs - holes out to mid wicket. 6/128

16.1: WICKET! Tim David's looked alright but he's running out of partners. Tom Rogers with a nothing shot to a Fwad wrong un leads to a top edge to the keeper. 7/130
16.4: David is the one thing that gives the Cane Train a chance of not derailing. He didn't get that one much but he did plant it over the rope at cow corner.
16.5: That one was basically the same ball by the spinner, and basically the same result from David - went two metres further

17.1: Flicked to the fence by David! He's their only hope.
17.2: WICKET! Well, as soon as I typed that... picks out Weatherald who is on for some reason at long on. Hurricanes' season over, thanks to a failure from their best batsmen and injuries to Ellis and absence from Sandeep. 8/147
17.4: Wil Parker thinks he can still do it! Ramps Siddle to the fence.
17.5: WICKET! Of course, Wil Parker is a number nine for a reason, and that yorker demonstrates why. 9/152

18.1: Meredith with a lovely shot! He drills it back past the bowler to the fence.

19.4: WICKET! Siddle with another yorker, and he now has nine from the last two ADE-HOB games. That ball also ends Hobart's season. A lot of blame must go to the injuries for Nathan Ellis and Joel Paris and the loss of Sandeep to international duty - their depth just wasn't there - but also some must go to the middle order struggling, David aside. Strikers deserved to win that, and they will play Sydney Thunder in two days' time. Matt Short MOTM for his 89 and wicket of McDermott.

See you tomorrow for the Qualifier!