Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne won the game with the ball as he picked up a hat-trick in the T20 Max Final. Playing for Redlands, Labuschagne bagged a hat-trick to bowl out Valley for 150, helping his team win the final by 41 runs.
Peirson scores century
In the final clash, Redlands posted 191 on the board. Jimmy Peirson who walked out to bat at no.4, scored an unbeaten 102 off just 50 balls. He hit 10 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten century. For Valley, Benji Floros took two wickets whereas Jack Wildermuth, Cameron Boyce, Tighe Morris and Tom Hallion took one wicket apiece.
Bryant’s knock in vain, Labuschagne backs hat-trick
In the run chase, Hugh Weibgen and Dylan Mclachlan were dismissed for ducks by Connon O'Riordan. Wildermuth and Patrick Cotter departed for single-digit scores. Max Bryant and Jayden Draper took control of the run chase. Bryant kept the run chase alive with his 38-ball 76 which featured five fours and six sixes. Lachlan Bangs got the prized wicket of Bryant. Labuschagne got a hat-trick, including wickets of Morris, Boyce and Tom Hallion to bowl out Valleys for 150 in 17.2 overs.
Labuschagne’s T20 career
31-year-old Labuschagne is nowhere near Australia's T20I plans. He made his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2022 and hasn't played a T20I since.
Interestingly, in T20s (domestic and franchise cricket), he has a five-wicket haul to his name. From 56 T20s, he has taken 39 wickets at an average of 19.56. With the bat, he has 1,358 runs from 53 innings at an average of 27.16, including eight half-centuries.
Apart from Big Bash League (BBL), Labuschagne has played just one foreign T20 league. He has played 27 games for Glamorgan in England's T20 Blast.
Labuschagne struggling for form
Labuschagne has been struggling for runs of late in international cricket. After the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final, he did not get to play a Test in West Indies. In the recently concluded ODI series, he scored just two runs from two innings. It is yet to be seen whether he gets into the playing XI for ODI series against India at home next month.