IT’S 100 IN OUR BOOK
Howler denies Short ton as Hurricanes triumph
D’ARCY SHORT LAST NIGHT SHOULD HAVE SCORED HIS SECOND BBL CENTURY, BUT A HOWLER OF A CALL LEFT HIM STRANDED ON 96 NOT OUT
A HOWLER of an umpiring decision cost D’Arcy Short becoming just the third player to score two BBL centuries but another masterclass display from the form batsman launched the Hurricanes back onto the winners’ list.
Short finished unbeaten on 96 from 57 balls against the Melbourne Stars, combining with opening part- ner in crime Matthew Wade (41) to lift the visitors to 2-185 at the MCG.
It was a total that proved well beyond the hosts, who were bowled out for 126 as Hobart bounced back from a last-start loss to the Renegades to improve to a 6-1 record with the 60run victory. However, the talking point was Short being robbed of joining Usman Khawaja and Luke Wright as the only batsmen to have recorded multiple Big Bash tons.
In the 18th over Short squeezed a full ball from Dwayne Bravo off the toe of the bat to the fine leg boundary — only for the umpire to incorrectly signal leg byes.
HOBART’S streak of unchanged BBL teams came to an end last night when Jake Doran was handed his Hurricanes debut at the MCG.
The Big Bash ladder leaders have rolled out the same side through their first six matches of the tournament but opted to include Doran at No. 3 at the expense of Alex Doolan against the Melbourne Stars.
The Stars also featured a debutant of their own in spinner Tom O’Connell — the home side’s 20th player used in BBL|08 to Hobart’s 12.
However Doran might not have got his chance had Cricket New Zealand ticked off on releasing a player to join Hobart as its second import.
The Hurricanes are yet to replace Tymal Mills after the quick bowler suffered a serious hamstring injury on the eve of the tournament, but the Mercury understands they had their eyes on a Kiwi international to fill the void.
But CNZ opted out of the deal, sending the Hurricanes back to the drawing board.
Doran, who played five BBL matches in several seasons with the Sydney Thunder before signing with the Hurricanes this summer, was unable to make the most of his debut in purple after openers Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short laid down the perfect platform.
The dynamic duo, the most feared in the league, combined for a 95-run stand before Wade was caught at long off by Ben Dunk to hand O’Connell his first T20 wicket.
Doran entered the frame in the 12th over, but managed just seven from eight deliveries before popping a return catch back to leg spinner Liam Bowe.
Commentating for Channel Seven, Ricky Ponting questioned the decision to send Doran in instead of Ben McDermott (27 not out from 19 balls), believing it was the perfect scenario for the powerful right hander to keep the momentum rolling.