Hurricanes stay alive, beat Stars in tense BBL final
Ethan James |
The Hobart Hurricanes’ Big Bash League title defence remains alive after they got past the Melbourne Stars by three runs in a dramatic rain-hit elimination final.
The wet conditions, in which quick Riley Meredith slipped over, prompted Hobart’s Matthew Wade to query whether the players should have been on the field at Ninja Stadium on Wednesday night.
Test allrounder Beau Webster fired for the Hurricanes with 47 from 26 as they posted 5-114 off their reduced 10 overs.
The Stars were 1-9 when heavier rain forced players off the field, with their victory target altered to 85 off seven overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Hilton Cartwright hit Mitch Owen for six off the second last ball of the innings, leaving the Stars needing five to win and four to tie off the final delivery.
But Owen held his nerve, keeping Cartwright to just a single as the Stars finished at 4-81.
Meredith, who took an important 2-19 during the chase, slipped over at one point.
“I suppose there’s good spirit but there’s also liability for the players,” Wade told FoxCricket.
“Everyone wants to play, no doubt. But there is a point if the rain keeps coming down and guys are trying to bowl 145, there has to be some common sense involved.”
The Hurricanes will face the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Friday night with the winner to play the Perth Scorchers in the final.
It was a rough end to the season for the Stars, who could have locked up top spot and two bites at the cherry with a win over Perth in their final regular-season game.
They needed 26 off the last over with Glenn Maxwell, who entered the fray in the second last over when Sam Harper was retired, and Marcus Stoinis at the crease.
Stoinis carved a maximum off the first ball but then holed out, before Cartwright did his best with three boundaries in three balls.
Maxwell only faced four balls and finished unbeaten on nine.
Earlier, Webster, who has only played four times in the Big Bash League this summer due to Test squad commitments, top-scored for the Hurricanes.
He whacked three sixes in a final over from Tom Curran that went for 21.
The Stars dropped two outfield catches, including Nikhil Chaudhary (24 from 11) who hit back-to-back maximums after Curran put down a sitter at cover.
Mitchell Swepson bowled a tight two overs that only went for 12, while Stoinis took 1-6 but only sent down one over.
After they lost the toss, Hobart opener Owen, who hasn’t hit full flight this season, hit Maxwell into the stands but was out two balls later for seven.
If the game had been washed out, the higher-ranked Hurricanes (third) would have progressed at the expense of the Stars (fourth).
AAP
