CANES WON’T GIVE UP

HOBART is refusing to dismiss a miraculous Big Bash finals tilt despite having its fate lying in the hands of opposition sides with three matches remaining.

The Hurricanes are mired in a five-game winless streak heading into tonight’s do-ordie showdown with the Melbourne Renegades at Docklands, after falling to Adelaide by 10 runs in Launceston on Sunday.

The defeat has left no room for error but even if the Canes can climb off the canvas to win their last three fixtures, they will also need a host of results to fall their way to feature in the revamped five-team finals series.

It is mathematically possible for the Hurricanes to play finals if both the Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat only win one of their last three games, or the Sydney Thunder drop their last three.

However, all that matters first is returning to the winners list against last year’s premiers. “It is a realistic thing for us to still focus on, we haven’t given up on the season yet, there is still plenty there if we can start playing some good cricket,” coach Adam Griffith said.

“If we can win the game [tonight] it keeps us in the hunt no matter what happens with the other teams for now.

“Then we get D’Arcy [Short] back for the following game which solidifies that top order again.

“But the players just need to win the next game they play in, it is pretty simple in those terms. If you are looking at three games and lose the first one it doesn’t matter.”

A costly dropped catch by David Miller which gave danger man Travis Head a life on 21 — he blasted a matchwinning 79 from 40 balls — and some sloppy fielding was Hobart’s undoing at UTAS Stadium, where the Strikers piled on a ground record 5-186.

Having struggled all tournament Miller finally unleashed his devastating best in reply with an unbeaten 90 from 48 balls, but it was not enough to drag the hosts across the line.

“That’s been our tournament, there has been three or four games where we haven’t quite controlled what we can control, and that’s cost us,” Griffith said.

“That was the disappointing thing … it doesn’t matter what the opposition is doing or how well they play, as long as we give ourselves the best chance and we didn’t do that in the field.

“The positive was we got close with the bat on a wicket which was potentially slow and a bit up and down and to see Dave whack them the way he did, it is what we have been looking for.”