Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars – Big Bash League, 2012/13 – Live Cricket Score and Match Update – Centurion Finch takes Renegades home with 8 wicket-win
Replete with the excitement of on-field stunts by daredevil freestyle motorcyclist group The Crusty Demons, the Zing Wicket System with stumps that light up on impact, the inevitable dancers that accompany every T20 tournament, and massive hordes of frenzied fans, Australia’s Big Bash League kicked off today on December 7, with the Melbourne Renegades securing an exciting 8-wicket victory over the Melbourne Stars at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne.
Led by former Aussie spinner Shane Warne, the Stars won the toss and elected to bat first in the season opener. The team received an early set-back when opening batsman Rob Quiney (5), recently returned from a stint with the national side, was dismissed by Aaron O'Brien (4-0-27-2) in the third over.
However, his fellow opener Luke Wright steadied the innings, and in addition to top-scoring for the team with 53, joined forces with Brad Hodge for a 51-run stand for the second wicket. By the 9th over, the team total had swelled to 74, but the partnership was broken up by the dismissal of Hodge via run out.
However, his successor, David Hussey, did not allow the team’s momentum to flag, and chipped in with a sizeable 42-run contribution, in addition to setting up a series of solid partnerships. His 28-run stand with Wright came to an end with the latter’s departure (caught out by Daniel Harris off Aaron Finch) in the 14th over, after which he went on to establish a 32-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Cameron White (20).
White was eventually snapped up by O’Brien as his second wicket of the day, but Hussey powered on. By the time he was dismissed, by Darren Pattinson in the final over, the score had climbed up to 159, and a couple of quick runs from wicketkeeper batsman Matthew Wade (14* off 8) got the Stars up to a final total of 167 by the end of 20 overs.
Despite the substantial nature of the total, the Renegades faced no difficulties in chasing it down, while the Stars’ bowling attack found themselves unequal to the challenge of keeping the Renegades’ batsmen under control.
Skipper Warne (2-0-41-0) proved the most expensive, while Hussey (1-0-12-0) and Wright (1-0-13-0) also cost the team a fair amount of precious runs. Jackson Bird (4-0-29-1) and James Faulkner (3.2-0-31-1) were the only ones who managed to make any dents in the opposition’s batting order, but their efforts paled in comparison to the heroics of Renegades’ skipper and Player of the Match Aaron Finch.
Opening for his side, the captain struck a massive unbeaten 111 off 65 deliveries, providing the spectators prime T20 entertainment and guiding his team to a comfortable victory. Daniel Harris (3) and Proteas batsman Faf du Plessis (14) were unable to stick it out at the crease for long, but Ben Rohrer (34*) joined Finch for an unbeaten 75-run partnership, which saw the Renegades home with 8 wickets still in hand, and 10 balls remaining.
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