After securing the top spot on the KFC BBL ladder with a topsy-turvy 10-run victory over the Melbourne Renegades, the Perth Scorchers will host the Sydney Sixers in The Qualifier next week. Perth Scorchers paceman Matt Kelly was struck flush on the face in a freak fielding mishap as his team secured the top spot on the KFC BBL ladder with a topsy-turvy 10-run victory over the Melbourne Renegades.
Scorchers beats Renegades in a Crucial Match
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Cameron Bancroft (95 not out off 50 balls) and Stephen Eskinazi contributed significantly to the Scorchers’ 5-212 victory at Optus Stadium on Sunday (54 off 29 balls). In response, the Renegades were in big danger, requiring 68 off the final 18 balls to win in front of 32,259 spectators. However, Aaron Finch’s blitzkrieg (76no off 35 balls) and some horrifying missed catches by the Scorchers lowered the equation to 37 required off 12 balls.
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AJ Tye (1-63 from four overs) took the greatest punishment, with Finch contributing 31 runs off the star paceman’s last over. Finch, on the other hand, failed to recapture the strike for the vital last 12 balls of the game, allowing the Scorchers to creep home. The Renegades concluded with a 5-202 record, with starter Shaun Marsh getting 54 points on 34 balls. As a consequence, Perth will remain at the top of the table, and they will face the second-placed Sydney Sixers in The Qualifier next Saturday.
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The winner of the match advances directly to the final. The Renegades are still in fourth place, with the top five teams advancing to the finals. Kelly’s participation in the finals is in jeopardy after getting hit in the face by a ball while trying to catch a return throw. The 28-year-old was at the non-end striker’s when Nick Hobson’s throw rebounded off Finch’s bat and into his face. Kelly was subbed out of the game with a concussion. Perth’s four-over PowerPlay of 0-62 was the greatest of the season, with the Renegades paying dearly for a shaky start with the ball.
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Renegades paceman David Moody was the most egregious offender, with his tenure lasting just one legal delivery. Early in the second over of the contest, the 27-year-old hit Bancroft in the upper ribs with a reckless 143.8km/h full toss. Bancroft was injured in the incident, but he was able to sprint through for a single before taking time to recuperate. The following ball was wide before Moody fired yet another full throw beyond waist height as Eskinazi attempted a scoop stroke.
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Because of the second beamer, Moody was unable to continue bowling under the rules of the game, prompting captain Finch to change his bowling lineup. “It startled me quite a bit,” Bancroft recalled of the Moody delivery. That is not something you would anticipate. I felt terrible for Moods. He’s a wonderful person. There are no hard emotions.” Moody was “devastated,” according to Finch. “But he’ll recover,” Finch told Channel 7. “No one intends to bowl balls or lose catches or anything like that.