HURRICANES HAULED IN
AN under-par total left the Hobart Hurricanes a soft target for the Melbourne Renegades at Blundstone Arena last night.
Renegades paceman Dwayne Bravo laid the groundwork with a five-wicket haul and veteran Cameron White and Marcus Harris withstood a Hurricanes pace barrage for a franchise record second wicket partnership of 113.
White was unbeaten on 79 when the Renegades overtook the Hurricanes’ total of 8-164 with nine balls and seven wickets to spare.
THE Hurricanes’ threepronged pace battery cranked up the speed gun last night but could only fire blanks as they slumped to a heavy loss in their BBL opener at Blundstone Arena.
Hobart plumped for a trio of rapid quicks — imports Tymal Mills and Jofra Archer were joined by Big Bash debutant Aaron Summers — and while all three pushed or broke the 150km/h barrier their radars were too often skewed in the seven wicket defeat.
Forced to defend an under par total of 8-164 after West Indian maestro Dwayne Bravo (5-28) took the first five-wicket haul for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash, the joy of the Hurricanes at removing danger man Aaron Finch in the first over was shortlived.
Veteran Cameron White and Marcus Harris withstood the pace barrage, cashing in on regular loose offerings to set the platform in the chase with a franchise record second wicket partnership of 113.
By the time Harris was caught at deep square leg for 50 off the bowling of Archer in the 14th over the damage was done, with the Renegades only needing another 48 runs to win from 40 balls.
Archer, the most impressive of the Hurricanes pace trio with 2-17, removed Tom Cooper for a duck to deliver a double wicket maiden but any hopes of a miraculous comeback were quickly dashed in the next over when evergreen Brad Hodge launched Summers deep onto the hill to get off the mark.
White finished with his highest score in red since crossing from the Melbourne Stars, unbeaten on 79 from 59 balls.
Mills and Summers coughed
up 65 runs from seven overs, with Bravo’s guile and skill clearly outpointing their ploy of out and out pace.
Defensive bowling has been Hobart’s Achilles heel since it last reached the finals in 2013-14 and while the execution last night was poor the attack was let down by a batting group unable to cash in.
The top five all got starts but D’Arcy Short and Ben McDermott top scored with just 34 apiece. Short and Alex Doolan (26) got the hosts off to a flying start with a 53-run partnership inside the power- play, the first half-century opening stand against the Renegades – but the introduction of Bravo changed the complexion of the match.
“Certainly after the powerplay we had and where we were after 10 overs, it was pegged back further than we would have liked,” Hurricanes captain George Bailey said.
“Everyone got the starts, we just needed someone to turn it into a big score.”
Bailey will back his pace brigade in, but knows they must make some early inroads in the next games.
“I don’t know what it looked like, but it felt like a lot of the overs for the quicks, there were balls that were just falling short of fielders.
“In terms of taking wickets they are good options, but we have to be taking wickets. That’s the key.”