BBL|11 - Derp's Megathread + General Discussions

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Quiet couple of overs, but that's punctuated by a boundary off Green, then a drop by Gilkes! Wicketkeepers at short mid wicket rarely do well. Cutting looks deflated.

WICKET! MAXY YOU CAN'T DO THAT! Switch hits Tanveer Sangha! Actually, that isn't true, as the only thing hit was the stumps by the ball. 3/61
Drinks taken at 3/62 with the Stars in some bother.

 

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Cartwright's sconed by Cutting! The physio says he's alert enough to continue, and he's certainly alert enough to put away a loosener down the leg side two balls later.

Power surge taken, and it produces a chaos ball! Dan Sams takes an incredible catch on the boundary from a chest high full toss! It's a no ball, but Sams fails to realise it! And they run three as Sams doesn't throw it in for a while! What on earth! And the free hit is brutalised into mid wicket, but only for a single. A letdown after the prior ball's drama.
Well, the next ball was better for the Stars - Larkin slides a wide yorker to the third man boundary.

Sams gets it wrong himself! Front foot no ball, and second of the power surge! The electricity is flowing through the Stars' veins as the no-ey goes to the fence! The free hit is a failure, but still...
Cartwright joins in and cuts Sams to the rope!

3/106 from 15

 

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Say goodbye to that! Cartwright swings clean through the line of a big full bunger from Sangha and drops it over the sightscreen! Stars with real momentum exiting the Power Surge, and no Dre Russ yet!
DROPPED! Cartwright gets another boundary but it's much less secure than the last! He picks out Cutting but the big quick's impersonation of Jake Fraser-McGurk fails (understandably). Unfortunately for him, it gets worse as the ball rolls back into the rope.

Larkin puts Sandhu away over cover! Good shot. Repeats the dose again through point!
WICKET! And he tries a third time but it isn't successful. Alex Ross, fittingly at sweeper, comes in and takes a good catch. Looking upstairs for the no ball (over the shoulder)... surely not? Surely not, after the one earlier? NO BALL! Larkin survives, and there's a free hit!
The free hit goes a LONG way into the outfield, and it's dropped by Gilkes! Oh well, if there's ever a ball to drop. Billings trips over the stumps as he tries to field the return, which sums up the Thunder's last seven overs.

Tanveer back into the attack to stop the rot on the Thunder's part. Cartwright responds by plonking him about 20 rows back over cover.
WICKET! Another big ball, and this one's finally held on a legal delivery! You wouldn't tell it from Sangha's reaction, but a big ball from Cartwright straight down the wicket sees Cutting take a good catch and be much more psyched than his bowler. 4/141 and Dre Russ is in!

Dre Russ is nearly run out for a diamond duck! He does make it and the throw is wide, which means Nick Larkin brings up his fifth BBL fifty. Good batting from him. A quiet over aside from that thanks to good bowling from McAndrew, whose reward is a tracer bullet into his foot from the final ball of the over.

There it goes! A full toss on Dre Russ's knee isn't where Sams was trying to bowl and it gets the treatment to fine leg. A bumper is much better from Sams, but it gets swatted for two into the deep. Another big swing gets a big snick to the third man fence, and finally after the second wide of the over, and then the third wide, he gets another big piece that results in a two. Sams ends with the most un-Sams like figures of 0/50, and the Stars finish at 4/165 after being 3/62 halfway and having already lost Stoinis (embarrassingly) and Maxwell (even more embarrassingly). What an eventful finish. See you in the Thunder innings

 

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Coulter-Nile's had a really bad start here. Slips in his delivery stride, drops the ball a couple feet in front of him, and it races away to the boundary for five wides.
Incredible shot from Sam Whiteman! He's ramped Coulter Nile for what looks like a six, although it may just be inside! Yeah, just inside. Still, 12 from the first over, and despite a couple plays and misses from Hales, a good start for the Thunder.

Zampa to bowl the second over! Interesting, and Hales drills him to the cover fence immediately to increase the intrigue. Also sweeps him away for a boundary, then thumps one that only isn't another four because it's planted at point.
WICKET! Oh dear. Zampa gets a key wicket in Hales, who comes far too much across the stumps, and his pad is just clipped with middle stump visible. Easiest LBW decision ever, and Hales gone for 10. 1/20

Maxwell also to bowl in the powerplay! Whiteman repeats Hales last over in getting a first ball boundary, with a correct execution of Hales' dismissal. Even better, rather than getting out, Gilkes closes the over with a boundary.

WICKET! Too cute from Whiteman. Tries to ramp Coulter-Nile again and the zing bails fly. Speaking of which, I could go a Zinger burger about now 2/29
An outstanding over from Coulter-Nile! He atones for his sins by conceding one run from his second over, as well as dismissing Whiteman. Powerplay done, expect Qais.

And it is Qais. Quiet over too. 2/36 from 5, similar to where the Stars were.

 

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Deft reverse from Gilkes! It runs away to the fence.
Huge shout from the next ball! Zampa is completely convinced but it is probably missing off with the amount of angle it has. Whoa, it would be an umpire's call! Well, I guess a good call?

Dre Russ into the attack! A couple of rusty wides, then one sits up for Matt Gilkes! He bludgeons it 89 metres down the ground. Misses the on speed ball that follows though.

A mistake in the outfield! Brody Couch's first ball draws a big top edge from Billings, and Larkin pulls up short! To be fair, wind and light were definitely factors, but it was a big chance. Billings then charges and misses! No stumping is attempted by Joe Clarke.

Gilkes with a nice reverse paddle for a boundary, but then Billings nearly breaks the sightscreen! Nails Qais over the ropes. The Bash Boost point is secured. Full bunger that isn't punished ends an expensive over - 14 runs from it.

2/79 from ther 10. 87 needed still.

 

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A close shave for Gilkes who just misses a big slash. Stoinis at cover is convinced he's hit it. Everyone else less so. Next ball clears Cartwright at deep square leg, who's a bit in from the rope, and is a one-bounce boundary.

Billings gets poleaxed! Luckily it's only Hilton Cartwright, anything faster would have been nasty. Wait, that's the arm! No wonder it's sore. Although given I originally thought it was the Livingstones...

Billings puts away Couch! A good hook shot which prevents damage to the other arm. Follows it up with such a big, agricultural swing that he falls over. When he doesn't try and send the ball to meet the fifth Ashes test across the Tasman, he gets Couch away to the boundary again.
And the final ball is huge! The half volley from Couch is put into the Seats over mid on! Sorry, couldn't resist. 16 from the over, and the Thunder inch ahead.

No power surge, surprisingly since Daniel Sams (did I say agricultural last over?) was seen warming up. Zampa is in to try and end the partnership. Doesn't happen, but...

WICKET! And just as the balance shifted to the Thunder, Billings holes out! Qais Ahmad delivers with his first ball of his third over. Billings whacks it out towards mid on, where Maxwell takes a great diving catch! He can't celebrate with the team so he sends off Billings instead. 3/118, this may change the Power Surge plans!
Sams promoted above Ross, as expected. 3/121 from 15, game back into the balance after the wicket.

 

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Bold decision to go to Couch again.
WICKET! Or not! Couch gets the wicket he deserved after the big miss by Larkin! Sams gets underneath one trying to hit it to the Renegades' dugout, but only gets about a metre and Joe Clarke takes it easily. Thunder in the gun at 4/123
Gilkes brings up his 50 from the final ball of the over. Great knock for the youngster, his second in his career. But will it be enough?

Power Surge for overs 18 and 19! 32 needed from three overs, and Coulter-Nile to finish his overs. This is gonna be close.
WICKET! Oh no, they could not afford that! Gilkes gloves a bouncer into the air and Clarke completes the catch. Stars in the ascendancy at 5/135
Cutting gets his first ball though! He flicks it over point and it rolls away to the boundary. Nearly finds the commentators. Ross then makes his own width, but his shot is hauled in by Stoinis and only concedes three. 23 needed from two, good over by NCN.

Now, Zampa will fini.... Andre Russell? And he gets hammered straight away down the ground! 19 from 11.
Brad Hodge thinks it will be a big over. Maxi misfields in the outfield although it looks like it's a plug in the outfield that's jarred his leg rather than a mistake. Big balloon edge from the third ball, but doesn't carry to Qais Ahmad at mid on.
Ben Cutting middles one through mid wicket! It was overpitched in the slot and it goes to the fence. 12 from 8. Then nearly plays on! Single results.
Dot from the final ball! Great bowling and good fielding at mid off. 11 needed from the final over, and it's the second tightest situation of the year!

 

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Adam Zampa for the 20th. Besides a rubbish over from Maxwell against the Sixers last year, I've never seen a spinner close a game. Let's see how this goes.

19.1: Single taken! Misfield through the legs of cover. Takes off strike the spin-hating Cutting and brings on the Sweepologist.
19.2: He runs down, gets a big chip, and manages to get back for two! 8 needed from 4. Notable misfield from Webster there
19.3: Hits it too well! Just the single down to mid on. Could Cutting have been better off being the sacrificial lamb? Or is he going to be the hero?
19.4: Can't get underneath it, and just another single! Six needed from two. Can Alex Ross win his team both of the first two games? A super over could be on too...
19.5: DROPPED! Ross nearly holes out, but Maxwell puts him down at long on! Just the single taken though. A four needed from Cutting for a super over. A six for a win. Nothing else will do.
19.6: HE MISSES IT! THE STARS MANAGE TO HOLD ON! WHAT A GAME THAT WAS!

 

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Apologies for that, the spoilers appear to have slightly broken. Anyway, what a finish! After an expensive penultimate over from big Dre Russ, Adam Zampa had a ton of pressure to execute, and with just six from his final over he more than turned up. Properly incredible. The Stars will have Zampa to thank, but also the Larkin-Cartwright partnership, who provided the acceleration Gilkes-Billings couldn't. Meanwhile, the Thunder will rue their lack of acceleration through the middle overs, but a close loss and a less close win still have them in decent stead for the rematch on Sunday night.

Nick Larkin - 52* (43)
Mat Gilkes - 56 (49)
Adam Zampa - 1/31

And I leave you with this. See you for tomorrow's games, another double header. Given they start earlier, I may be able to do a double live com!

 

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Shite. Both games tonight aren't FTA. Will need to work from Cricinfo or give it a miss altogether

 

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OF ALL OF THE GAMES TO NOT SHOW ON FREE TO AIR YOU PICK THIS ONE. I HATE YOU SEVEN, YOU ARE A the remainder of this post was censored in order to avoid a R18+ rating for this thread

 

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I've found a radio stream. And it has Doug Bollinger in it (as well as Jimmy Smith, but not the Jimmy Smith from FOALS, so Doug is the important one here). Highlights so far include:
* Doug uses a Sydney landmark to point out where the wind is coming from... where nobody not from Sydney knows where it is
* Doug claims Short may be trying to run himself out after his bad form after Henriques misses out on a runout chance
* Doug suggests a wide isn't a wide after his co-commentators say that it was a clear wide. They not-so-subtly remind him he is a fast bowler and thusly should not be trusted.
* Doug recites an old ad for one of the sponsors live on air
* Doug isn't very happy with the drinks break and explains why, before invalidating his entire argument by saying that he never passed Grade 10
* Doug recites an old ad for one of the sponsors live on air again
* Jim (yes something not involving Doug!) doesn't notice the powerplay until three balls into it
* Doug tries to change Tom Curran's nickname from Chuck Norris to JC van Damme after he gets bludgeoned for 36 from 13 balls.

 

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"Doug showing us he can count" Jim is thinking the same as all of us. Jewell then slashes it over cover for a maximum, and Doug responds with "I can count to six!" Touche.
Meanwhile, Cricinfo are giving all of Jewell's runs to Short. Oop.

2/213 from the Canes! They've, uh, caned the Sixers' attack all around the SCG! Will be an interesting chase against a stronger attack than the Sixers scored the exact same amount against last week

 

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Covers out at the SCG, three balls short of the requirement to make the game. Hopefully they can get back on...

 

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Back on and five overs are complete. We will have a result