BATTING JIGSAW PUZZLE
THE Hobart Hurricanes’ “jigsaw puzzle” batting attack faces another shuffle tonight with Test player Tim Paine and regular new-ball warrior Alex Doolan back in the team and ready to open in their Big Bash semifinal blockbuster against Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium.
Captain George Bailey said one of the Hurricanes’ strengths this summer was the ability to switch their batters.
They will roll the dice again in the make-or-break semi.
“We’ve been reasonably flexible with our batting line-up throughout the tournament with guys popping up and down the order depending on how we think our batters are suited to a particular ground,” Bailey said.
With the exception of Paine, who played an ODI game there for Australia, the Hurricanes saw Optus Stadium for the first time yesterday.
It is a $1.5 billion masterpiece with a drop-in pitch that looks more like an indoor cricket strip than an outdoor deck.
“It’s the one unknown — we don’t have any form to go on with this ground,” the captain said.
“There’s two ways of looking at it — it’s a ground you’ve never played before, but the Scorchers have got such a formidable record at the WACA we’re not too disappointed playing somewhere they are less familiar with.”
Paine comes into the team as a direct swap for D’Arcy Short, off on Australian T20 duties, and Doolan (concussion) is back after missing the past two games.
“Dools opened in the first eight of 10 regular season games with Short, while Paine is playing his first BBL game this summer,” Bailey said.
It means keeper-batsman Matthew Wade may not only lose the gloves, but also his place as opener, a job he has done for the past two games.
He has also batted at No.3 three times and No.6 three times, showing his flexibility.
“Painey has had an outstanding record opening over the past couple of years,” Bailey said. “That will be the main batting change.”
He said the decision to axe England paceman Tymal Mills did not come easy. “It was a very tough call,” he said. “Leaving any player out for a final is hard and he’s played the whole tournament for us and sometimes the numbers don’t tell the full story.
“But he hasn’t had the impact we would have liked.”
It leaves Nathan Reardon, Tom Rogers and Riley Meredith to fight for the last spot, which is likely to be taken by young paceman Meredith.
“He has really good pace, and the ability to bowl in all three areas of the game,” Bailey said.