Kane Richardson’s Melbourne Renegades gave heartaches to Peter Siddle-led Adelaide Strikers despite the late collapse while batting first in the third match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2021. Batting first after winning a good toss, Renegades put up a below par score of 153 for 9 in 20 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper and Mackenzie Harvey gave them a steady start for the first wicket. The duo put 65 runs in 8.5 overs before Harper got caught and bowled by Matthew Short.
After losing two wickets in quick succession, James Seymour fought back with a solid cameo of (23 off 14) that included two sixes and a four. The ship appeared to be in good shape until 17.3 overs, when Renegades were 142 for 3 and were accelerating towards a decent total. However, in the last two overs, Renegades' batting was fused by Strikers' bowlers, and Melbourne's batting collapsed from 142 for 3 to 151 for 9 in the span of just 2 overs. Finally, a late collapse put an end to their innings, as they only managed 11 runs in the last 15 balls, losing six wickets.
Strikers had the momentum, and their openers' blistering start had put them in the driver's seat. Short (29 off 18) and Jake Weatherald (18 off 17) combined 45 runs in only five overs to help them get off to a flier. Strikers, like Renegades, lost their way after a promising start. Zahir Khan rattled the top order of Melbourne dismissing well set Short, Weatherald and Jonathan Wells.
Despite many blows, Siddle's team was able to put themselves in a position to win the game. With three wickets in their account, the Strikers needed nine runs in the penultimate over of the match.
Renegades' James Pattinson bowled the final over, while Strikers' Daniel Drew and Wes Agar were at the crease. Adelaide had no answers for the former Australian speedster and could only score six runs in the final over. With a stunning spell of 27 for 1, including a wicket of Agar in the penultimate over, Pattinson snatched victory from the grasp of Strikers.
Zahir, on the other hand, was named "Player of the Match" for his stunning stint of 24 for 3 in four overs.
“Today was my day. The captain and Nabi supported me in the ground, very happy with my performance. I am enjoying, the coaching staff and managing staff are very good, they are always supporting the young players,” Zahir said in the post-match presentation.
