BBL 2024 2024/25, Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers 10th Match, Melbourne Match Report, December 23, 2024
Melbourne Renegades 144 for 8 (Bethell 30, Seifert 28, Behrendorff 2-33) beat Perth Scorchers 143 for 8 (Connolly 66, Rogers 3-22, O’Neill 1-18) by two wickets
Melbourne Renegades squeezed out a two-wicket win over Perth Scorchers on a much-criticised Marvel Stadium surface to end a six-match losing streak against the West Australian team.
Social media fired up over a patchy-looking outfield which looked well below its best following a university graduation ceremony last week attended by tens of thousands of people, plus several recent concerts from Pearl Jam and Coldplay, among others.
Scorchers spinners Ashton Agar (1 for 20 off four overs) , Connolly (1 for 17 off three) and captain Ashton Turner (1 for 3 off one) slowed the run rate, as well as took wickets. A brilliant direct-hit run-out by Matthew Kelly at deep midwicket reduced Renegades to 7 for 128 after 16 overs, and Fergus O’Neill was caught at mid-off with four needed off nine balls.
One of the game’s major features was an outstanding fielding performance from Renegades’ livewire Mackenzie Harvey. He pulled off a sensational catch at midwicket, taking a leaping backward one-handed grab to dismiss Spoors. Mackenzie also executed a direct hit run-out and saved several runs with his fielding.
Scorchers took 11 balls to score their first run, and O’Neill (1 for 18 off four overs) didn’t concede any up to his ninth delivery – and then only from a misfield.
Australian one-day and T20 representative Connolly scored just one off his first 12 balls, but blasted Scorchers to a respectable score, belting six sixes – including two off successive balls over cover off quick Kane Richardson.
Renegades improved to 2-1 while Scorchers dropped to 1-2 after successive loses.
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