Adelaide look the goods...
Adelaide came away with the victory, and thoroughly deserved it after commanding the match from start to finish.
At times it felt like modern T20 v something a little more dated. All the hype surrounded The Bash Brothers, who - we were told - would get Brisbane off to the rollicking, entertaining start we craved. This is a very basic conception of cricket in this format that consciously overhypes hitting long and constantly undervalues less marketable elements like tactical nuance, placement, accurate bowling, and so on.
Adelaide have each of those latter ingredients in spades, and after a helter-skelter opening filled with Chris Lynn strikes, eventually the Strikers’ class showed. They dominated the middle period through the exceptional spin of Rashid Khan, ably supported by Matt Short and Ben Laughlin. At times the Heat looked bereft for ideas about how to play the Afghani maestro. An entertaining, mercurial late stand from Jimmy Peirson and Mujeeb Ur Rahman added respectability to the Heat’s efforts, after slumping to 9/101.
In the middle of the onslaught, there was a remarkable moment when James Pattinson was adjudged run out by the third umpire when he’d clearly reached his ground. It was a withdrawn appeal from Adelaide, apparently Ben Laughlin’s idea, that reinstated Pattinson. Very strange.
Alex Carey then went about taking Adelaide to the brink of victory with the bat, making 70 from 47 balls in an innings of great range. Aside from some impressive bowling from Mitchell Swepson, The Heat couldn’t apply the requisite pressure to bring themselves back into the match.
It’s a long season, but these two sides were eons apart. One was a side built for highlights, the other looked a well balanced unit designed for the vagaries of T20 cricket in 2018. That Jason Gillespie and Michael Di Venuto form the coaching axis of the Strikers makes the above stand to reason.
Thanks for joining me here for night one of BBL08. Catch you next time.
Adelaide Strikers win by 5 wickets with 5 balls remaining
Pretty clinical from the reigning premiers here at The Gabba. Some thoughts to follow...
19th over: Strikers 146-5 (Wells 23, Neser 1) Lots of praise for Wells here, who’s managed the close of this chase well. He was able to put away Steketee last over, and he keeps it ticking over here with a couple of nice-looking two’s through the offside. He keeps the strike for the last over, where the Strikers need only one run to win. Steketee will bowl it.
WICKET! Lehmann c Swepson b Cutting 16 (12 balls), Strikers 142-5
Out! Good catch from Swepson, diving forward at point to dismiss mini-Boof. He was beaten by a slower ball and therefore through the shot too early. Consolation only. Neser to the crease.
18th over: Strikers 140-4 (Wells 19, Lehmann 15) Steketee returns, and an early Lehmann steer beyond point gets he and the Strikers three, and off to a good start. Later, Steketee bowls a rank full toss to Wells and he’s hammered over cover for four. “Oh no,” says captain Lynn, who’s on air again. The next goes too. “Oh, no!” says Lynn again. “That’s a dagger,” is Lynn’s commentary.
A mixed bag for the commentary's team predictions on the @HeatBBL #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/4ToQYzO06s
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2018
17th over: Strikers 128-4 (Wells 10, Lehmann 12) Just can’t get themselves clear, Adelaide, who are only 6 runs ahead of the Heat at the same stage of their innings. They succeed only in gaining little inside edges and singles from Cutting’s off-cutters - though he did start with a harshly judged wide. It gets a little easier for the Strikers from thereon, with a succession of two’s into the deep bringing them to run-a-ball territory. With six wickets in hand, they should be able to do it from here.
"Where do wrong-un's go when you bowl them well to left handers? They nick to slip!"
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2018
- Ricky Ponting perhaps suggesting there should have been a slip 😅 #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/USwy2AOz3c
Updated
16th over: Strikers 120-4 (Wells 6, Lehmann 9) Lehmann edges a Swepson wrong’un for four to start with - he didn’t know much about it. He bamboozles for the rest, but unfortunately concedes two from him final delivery, with singles in between. 1/27 from 4 doesn’t accurately reflect the spell - he was a menace throughout.
15th over: Strikers 112-4 (Wells 5, Lehmann 2) Mujeed missing his lengths allows some singles to be turned over, but still too difficult to really get away. He goes for only four, but it’s all the Strikers need. 35 needed to win. Five overs remain.
Updated
14th over: Strikers 108-4 (Wells 3, Lehmann 0) Swepson magnificent this over. Conceded only singles before knocking over Carey. Can The Heat bring themselves back into it?
That's the first time since 2015 (BBL|04) that James Pattinson has bowled a T20 spell that's gone for less than 10 runs per over. Looks in good touch #BBL08
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) December 19, 2018
WICKET! Carey b Swepson 70 (46 balls), Strikers 108-4
Well deserved Mickey! Although Carey was bossing all else, he couldn’t get a handle on the QLD leggie, who slid one past Carey’s outstretched hands and into off stump. Feels a bit late from a match perspective, but promising from Swepson’s point of view. Classy stuff from Carey, who’s controlled this run chase.
13th over: Strikers 104-3 (Carey 68, Short 13) Carey purring this over. After Short’s dismissal, Carey starts with a deft glide through third man for four, then exchanges singles with new batsmen Wells, before driving ferociously through cover for another boundary.
WICKET! Short c McCullum b Pattinson 13 (18 balls), Strikers 93-3
Pattinson digs the short ball in and it gets big on Short. He tried to pull without conviction, landing it in McCullum’s hands at long on.
12th over: Strikers 93-2 (Carey 58, Short 13) Excellent over from Swepson, entirely unrewarded. The first, he beats Short with a wrong’un that looked LBW, but given not out (edged?). Carey then survives a strong caught behind appeal after being beaten by a wrong’un, so the South Australian follows up with a six back over his head. Swepson beats Carey again with a wrong’un, the Australian keeping understudy slicing him to backward point but it’s dropped. Did it hit his knee? A single to finish, nine from the over, and no reward for Swepson.
11th over: Strikers 84-2 (Carey 51, Short 11) Cutting becomes the sixth bowler into the attack, and Carey’s able to flick the third ball way for three to bring up his fifty. It comes from 35 balls, and is the innings of a player operating at a high level at the moment. Interestingly, he seems to have found a way to profit from the bowling that isn’t offering him width, working away to the onside with greater ease. Eight from the over.
10th over: Strikers 76-2 (Carey 45, Short 9) Swepson into the attack now. Short gets two from an overpitched wrong’un - they checked for a runout but Short dived and made his ground. Swepson is flat here, but successful. All attacking shots are to fielders, and he exits the over conceding only six runs. Each miserly over just increases the need for big blows later. Adelaide should manage but the pressure increases ever so slightly.
"That looks a lot like ... those Gray Nicolls things you used to use."
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2018
😅😅 #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/iwR6zeqSmJ
9th over: Strikers 70-2 (Carey 44, Short 4) It’s Steketee, and he begins with successful short balls, only resulting in singles. Carey has been stymied somewhat here, and the theme continues throughout the over, as the no width policy yields singles only for the Strikers. Six from the over.
8th over: Strikers 64-2 (Carey 42, Short 1) Mujeeb back into the attack, and it’s another quiet one. Singles only from the mystery spinner, before he gets one to go right through Short, and they’re appealing viciously! Not out, says umpire Wilson. Only three from the over, all told. The Heat creeping back into this.
Turns out Steve Smith is in #BBL08 after all - doing these ads. Leveraging off his community work while banned for a commercial sponsor is... interesting 🤔 https://t.co/ISODL0kNA6
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 19, 2018
7th over: Strikers 61-2 (Carey 40, Short 0) A great over from Pattinson who was rewarded with Ingram’s wicket. As far as I can deduce his plan is to cramp each batsman, and it’s working. Short to the crease, who leads an inexperienced middle over.
WICKET! Ingram c Heazlett b Pattinson 1 (3 balls), Strikers 60-2
Great pressure from Pattinson, who kept both Carey and Ingram quiet for the majority of the over. Ingram then tried to pull a fullish ball that was just too tight, and mistimed it out to deep midwicket, where Heazlett took it comfortably.
Updated
6th over: Strikers 57-1 (Carey 37, Ingram 0) Joe Burns takes the ball, presumably to tempt both bats into profiting from the last over of the powerplay, at the risk of a wicket. Carey needn’t worry too much, the first is a genuine long hop and he deposits it to long on for six. The rest is strong from Burns, whose slung-in offspin with the angle accounts for Weatherald, and little else happens thereafter.
WICKET! Weatherald c Pattinson b Burns 17 (13 balls), Strikers 56-1
Soft dismissal - Weatherald will rue that. Burns is on in the powerplay, and Weatherald tries to lap him airily midway through the over. He does so, and hits it straight to Pattinson for an easy catch. It brings Ingram to the crease.
5th over: Strikers 49-0 (Carey 29, Weatherald 17) Bang. Bang. Bang. It’s Carey, hitting Steketee’s first back over his head for six with the field up, the second squirted over gully for four, the third again over his head for six. Each six nearly took out Carey’s team mates in the dugout*. Three separate singles follow. A wonderful over for the visitors. Dizzy’s outfit look a class above here.
*Speaking of baseball lexicon, also just heard Ponting refer to Carey’s ‘at-bats’. Okay.
Photograph: Albert Perez/Getty Images
4th over: Strikers 30-0 (Carey 11, Weatherald 16) It’s Mujeeb, and from ball two Wesatherald cuts hard forward of cover and gets three for it. Michael Slater getting a bit excited on comms, it must be said. We’re having a look at Mujeeb’s variations, and he has a few, which is apt as Weatherald tries to heave him only to find clear air. There’s a half-hearted shout for a stumping which the umpire refers, but Weatherald was well back. The next is short and wide and Weatherald deals with it, cutting firmly through cover point for for. Calm start for the Strikers, they’ve started solidly and have wickets in hand.
3rd over: Strikers 20-0 (Carey 10, Weatherald 7) Pattinson follows Carey again, and the Redbacks keeper effects another leg bye. That’s the order of the day, as it happens again. Clearly a plan here. It’s the same plan to Weatherald, who gets bat on one to short fine leg - the run out’s on, it’s to the non striker’s end, but misses. Would have been out. Carey then carves a very full ball over extra cover, slicing it away for two. The next is hammered straight - sounded great - but it can’t beat mid off.
2nd over: Strikers 15-0 (Carey 8, Weatherald 6) Continue the momentum, son! It’s Mujeeb opening from the other end, so a little spin for something different. Weatherald tries to hit him over mid on for six - there’s a man down there, it’s down his throat but he drops it cold! Oh dear. That looked bad. Of course it went for four. It was Bryant, sorry to report, and it was the carrom ball. As is the natural law of cricket, he concedes another boundary, this time to Carey who sweeps neatly.
Updated
1st over: Strikers 6-0 (Carey 4, Weatherald 1) Pattinson begins to Carey - all eyes will be on the Victorian speedster to see if he can make the batsmen hop. It’s a slow start, and Carey’s able to punch the second delivery over the top of cover point for four. Carey’s exposing all three stumps and Pattinson is following him, so no freedom to swing means a dot follows. Then another. Carey gets a leg bye (followed again) before Weatherland drives his first firmly for one, and will retain the strike.
Adelaide Strikers require 147 runs to win
If you offered that at the top of the innings, Adelaide would have taken that all day. But now, they’ll understandably wonder what might have been. After outclassing Heat’s batsmen from the off, a late partnership from Jimmy Peirson and Mujeeb Ur Rahman added 45 critical runs to an otherwise meagre total, leaving the hosts with a fraction of light.
Beforehand, it was a controlled, skilful performance from the reigning premiers, who through Khan, Laughlin, and Short went through the Heat middle order with ease. Lynn did Lynn things earlier, muscling a few into the stands for an entertaining 33, but beyond that there was little resistance before the final wicket partnership.
What we can say, though, is that the run out incident involving James Pattinson will likely dominate highlight reels and memes more than much else that will happen tonight. He was given out after clearly appearing well and truly in, and evidently it was only the withdrawal of the appeal from the visitors that prolonged Pattinson’s stay. Like most people, I’m still thinking ‘huh?’
Time for a 180 second breather before both teams return. Adelaide in the driving seat, Brisbane with it all to do.
After the innings @HeatBBL coach Daniel Vettori and skipper Chris Lynn went and shook Ingram’s hand and to say thanks.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) December 19, 2018
Ingram revealed the withdrawal was Ben Laughlin’s idea. @FoxCricket #BBL08 https://t.co/seK1sqZICf
WICKET! Mujeeb c Lehmann b Neser 27 (22 balls), Heat all out 146
He finally holes out, but not before Mujeeb landed a few more blows. He batted with charisma, enterprise and panache. A little luck went a long way. What an innings, what a partnership.
19th over: Heat 140-9 (Peirson 24, Mujeeb 21) Another two to Mujeeb who hoicks Laughlin out to deep midwicket, only to be cutoff by a brilliant stop from that man, Rash (my mate) Khan. He’s on a roll now, Mujeeb. Grabs another single, brings Peirson on strike who front foot muscles one from over his shoulder for four. Next, Peirson slog sweeps Laughlin into the top tier! Life restored into this game! 93 metres, that was. Peirson watched that all the way, cameras show.
I still can't quite fathom that third umpire decision, but then again I was at the 2007 World Cup final when supposedly the best four umpires in the world collectively forgot the rules and made Australia and Sri Lanka literally play in the dark, so nothing surprises me. #BBL08
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) December 19, 2018
18th over: Heat 127-9 (Peirson 14, Mujeeb 14) Neser returns as we enter nuisance territory. There’s a single to begin, then two to Mujeeb as he toes one through midwicket, before Peirson lofts Neser over mid-off for a glorious boundary. Partnership moves to 24. Starting to look easier for both, especially Peirson who now gets a single to fine leg, and then Mujeeb clears the front leg and jams a yorker to mid on - and by mid on I mean Neser fields from his own bowling in that region.
17th over: Heat 117-9 (Peirson 8, Mujeeb 17) Khan’s spell ends (3-19 from 4) and Laughlin returns. Mujeeb tries to belt him early - clearing the front leg - but can only get a single. From there Laughlin gives the full repertoire: short and fast, short and slow, undercutter-swinger-held-back, fast yorker. They can’t really hit any of them. Another quality over from Ben Laughin. Meanwhile, Mujeeb now has the highest score by a number 11 in the history of the BBL. It’s not all bad for the Heat. Looking forward to seeing him bowl, too.
‘Sportsmanlike decision’: Strikers withdraw appeal after run out decision. #BBL08
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 19, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/hcUC2NzmOx pic.twitter.com/55xHfcSenq
16th over: Heat 114-9 (Peirson 6, Mujeeb 13) Some fireworks with the bat! Stanlake, who’s struggled, is taken to the cleaners by the young Mujeeb, going dot, four, two, dot, two. Both boundaries were slapped back over Stanlake’s head, while the next was almost lapped for six! Laughlin got there and performed one of those catch-batback motions, resulting in two. Mujeeb can now comfortably re-enter the dressing room smug about his batting efforts, particularly in comparison to the guys ahead of him.
Rashid Khan is the worlds best T20 player and showing why tonight @7Cricket
— Trent Woodhill (@TrentWoodhill) December 19, 2018
15th over: Heat 102-9 (Peirson 6, Mujeeb 1) Destruction in the last couple of overs. Rashid Khan was simply unreadable here, and profited heavily. He’s going to do this to a few batsmen this tournament, I feel.
Photograph: Albert Perez/Getty Images
WICKET! Swepson LBW Khan 0 (2 balls), Heat 101-9
Swepson doesn’t know which way it is spinning, so stands in front of the stumps (fair enough). He misses the ball (also arguably fair enough) and the laws conspire against him because you can’t do that if the ball is hitting. It’s a wrong’un. Always worse when you’re a leggie and you’re dismissed by one.
WICKET! Steketee b Khan 0 (2 balls), Heat 101-8
International bowler destroys batsman with violent wrong’un. All ends up. Palpable class gulf.
14th over: Heat 100-7 (Peirson 5, Steketee 0) Short has been miserly, the Heat no match. They work him for singles before Pattinson capitulates, and there’s a palpable hollowness overwhelms everyone watching. The Strikers are too good.
WICKET! Pattinson run out Carey 4 (7 balls), Heat 100-7
Pattinson’s down the wicket to Short, trying to hit him through midwicket. He inside edges onto his pad and the ball ricochets to Carey, who takes the bails with Pattinson well out of his ground. A groan reverberates through the Gabba and through my TV.
13th over: Heat 96-6 (Peirson 3, Pattinson 2) Khan returns, dismisses Cutting, and then there’s very nearly a run out. So close that he was given, then waited, then started walking, before being recalled by the umpire. That was one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen. You’d just about forgive the umpire for pressing the wrong button, but Pattinson, upon reflection, was then told he was out. THEN, thirty seconds later, he was called back by the on-field umpire. Someone, somewhere, is scrambling to tell media that it was the wrong button pressed.
But hang on, now Alex Carey is mic’d up saying that the Adelaide Strikers overruled the umpires decision! Remarkable. We’ll find out more about this.
Khan’s over was otherwise uneventful. He just beat people with wrong’uns.
Confusion here...
Pattinson has been given run-out, he dives and slides with the back of his bat, he looks to be pretty comfortably in, but the video replay gives him out! It’s so glaring that Pattinson stays on the ground. There’s mass confusion here. Ponting on commentary is saying that “it’s 100% the wrong decision”. There’s been a three minute wait here. But he’s been given! Pattinson is walking off. Chris Lynn is fuming on the sideline. But now the umpire comes to get Pattinson, and changes the decision. He’s back in! The crowd roars! At least half the bat was in. It’s the right call. What on earth was going on there?
WICKET! Cutting c Weatherald b Khan 8 (10 balls), Heat 92-6
Khan in on the act now. Cutting tries to sweep the Afghani master and top edges him, the ball arcing in the most friendly manner to Weatherald at deep square. Not sure the Heat can play him, to be frank.
12th over: Heat 92-5 (Peirson 1, Cutting 8) Short again, conceding only one’s and two’s, as both Cutting and Peirson attempt to sweep. No harm done for Short, only five from the over.
Young Michael Slater seems to be enjoying his first T20 match. But he’s going to be a handful in the morning.#HEAvSTR
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) December 19, 2018
11th over: Heat 87-5 (Peirson 0, Cutting 4) Laughlin again, and a quieter over in line with a flurry of wickets. The Heat don’t want to lose one here, and the Strikers will be happy to contain boundaries and build scoreboard pressure. Sense the visitors are on top. At one point a Laughlin slower ball bouncer actually clips Heazlett’s helmet. The next bouncer then comes through at 140km/hr - that’s why he’s such a great bowler at this level. Then he gets him. Peirson now to the crease.
WICKET! Heazlett b Laughlin 2 (6 balls), Heat 87-5
Brilliant from Laughlin. He worked Heazlett all over. A slower ball bouncer, a rapid bouncer, then a full undercutter that Heazlett completely misread, taking out the left-hander’s leg stump about 5 cm from the base.
10th over: Heat 83-4 (Heazlett 2, Cutting 1) Earlier this over, Jake Lehmann botched a chance to take Bryant, but the young QLD batsman was gone next ball. Valuable wickets for Adelaide there to a non-frontline bowler in Matt Short, who no doubt would have been targeted by the Heat. Khan still to come back.
WICKET! Bryant c Khan b Short 22 (20 balls), Heat 81-4
Another! Matt Short is around the wicket with his offspin, Bryant dances to him and tries to loft over long on. H’s beaten in flight and gets a leading edge to Khan, who sprawls at point to take the catch. Wheels falling off?
9th over: Heat 78-3 (Heazlett 0, Bryant 20) Stanlake rejoins, and he’s off the mark to begin with. Burns whips him gracefully off his pads for a couple, before heaving a pull shot that Jake Weatherald (who made that earlier stop) can’t catch on the boundary, instead tipping it over the rope for six. Should he have taken it? Fair to call it a half-chance. Burns is looking pretty good here though, wonder if it will haunt them later.
WICKET! Burns c Weatherald b Stanlake 20 (14 balls), Heat 78-3
Burns holes out! Stanlake, fairly unimpressive to date, digs one in and Burns is onto it early, getting inside the line in an attempt to clear the ropes with a pull behind square. He’s almost through it too early - it looks like he may have toed that one down to Weatherald, who’s heavily in the action. He takes it low, but comfortably. Burns was looking good there.
8th over: Heat 66-2 (Burns 11, Bryant 17) The all-time leading BBL wicket taker enters the fray. Yes, I’m talking Ben Laughlin. He bowls a concoction of swingers and slower balls, and his reduced pace turns the over into a succession of ill-timed, pushed, manipulated one’s and two’s. Later in the over Bryant cuts Laughlin and it looks to be hitting the rope before ...*checks*...the sweeper at cover dives beautifully to save a boundary.
7th over: Heat 58-2 (Burns 6, Bryant 14) Wrong’uns again from Khan. God they’re good to see. He bowls with beautiful pace, Khan, and the ball zings off the wicket. Burns then tries to slog sweep Khan twice, and misses both times. One is a leggie, the other a wrong’un. The second looked close to LBW. Ponting explains that when batsmen don’t know which way they’re spinning, you tend to slog sweep. Burns manages to nerdle two to deepish midwicket to recover a semblance of respect from the over, eventually needing to dive to make his ground. Khan was otherwise to good.
6th over: Heat 55-2 (Burns 4, Bryant 13) Joe Burns comes to the crease now, meaning two classical batsmen face the Strikers music. The Test hopeful starts with a sumptuous cover drive to get himself underway - you can see a bit of class there. “Shot of the night,” says RT Ponting. High praise. Joe’s happy to see out the rest.
WICKET! Lynn c Neser b Siddle 33 (20 balls), Heat 50-2
Siddle does the trick! He’s followed Lynn with great success so far and Lynn, followed with a full ball yet again, tries to deposit him over mid-on. He doesn’t get enough of it and it’s a comfortable catch for Neser on the rope, about two metres in from the boundary. Bash Brothers gone
5th over: Heat 49-1 (Lynn 33, Bryant 12) It’s Khan to Lynn, and Alex Carey on the mic calls it beautifully when he says it’s the best bowler to the best batsman in the comp. Lynn sweeps his first aggressively and beats square leg to earn a boundary. If he missed it was LBW - but thems the risks. A mix up next results in Peter Siddle hurtling the ball to Khan and nearly breaking his hand(!), but Khan recovers and no harm done. Khan then moves into his wrong’un repertoire, and Lynn frankly doesn’t pick it. He can’t score from a few of them. But then, as is the curse of all leggies, Khan drops short and Lynn doesn’t miss, pulling him violently for six in front of square.
4th over: Heat 39-1 (Lynn 23, Bryant 12) A change, it’s Siddle now, and he starts on a full length to Lynn with a dot. Lynn wants room next ball and Siddle follows him - Lynn can only knock him wide of mid on for one. The commentators speculate that spin may have helped slow things down here, but Siddle has started well all the same. There’s nearly a run out next ball. Bryant struck it wide of mid on, then had to run a parabola-esque arc around Siddle to make his ground. The throw missed - don’t think the dive would have saved Bryant there. Next up, Siddle follows Lynn again and gets success, before a fast, low full toss is too quick for Lynn - he can only get one to mid on. Only three from the over, great stuff from Sidds.
Didn’t take @lynny50 long!! WOW 🔥 @7Cricket #BBL08
— Trent Copeland (@copes9) December 19, 2018
3rd over: Heat 36-1 (Lynn 21, Bryant 11) Lynn hammers Stanlake into the top deck, right over cow! T20 cricket is like 120 penalty shootouts, and Lynn guessed right there. Lynn doesn’t so much back away as lean away, clearing the front leg to create the room. He repeats the dosage next ball, this time over Stanlake’s head for four. Stanlake is fuller with the next delivery, 147.7km, and Lynn this time remains still and carves him over short third man for another boundary! The bouncer gets Stanlake out of trouble next ball. A dot. A yorker that follows Lynn is next, and Lynn can only jam it out for one. Another Brisbane win, all told.
Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
2nd over: Heat 21-1 (Lynn 6, Bryant 11) Neser from the other end. We see the young Bryant hit a classical off-drive for four, another couple of runs after being offered some width through that off side, before Neser settles things with straighter bowling and straighter fields. He strings another few dots together - one notable for a fast-ish bouncer that beat Bryant for pace. How does he finish? A slower ball that defeats Bryant morally, but not practically. He is through his drive and it splays over third man - who is up - and spins away for four. Fast start for Brisbane.
I hope Foxtel also got the rights to I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Because without the endless plugs and speculation over who the contestants might be, I fear this Big Bash coverage will come up short. #BBL08
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 19, 2018
1st over: Heat 11-1 (Lynn 6, Bryant 1) A helter-skelter first over, with McCullum smoking a boundary, being dismissed, Max Bryant arriving at the crease, getting himself off strike to third man, before Lynn top edged over the keeper attempting a straight, cross-bat shot over mid on, followed by two to long on after another lofted, cross bat strike.
WICKET! McCullum c Carey b Stanlake 4 (2 balls), Heat 4-1
Second ball! McCullum ploughed to first over point for four, and tried to pull the second, succeeding only in skying it - beaten for pace - and taken comfortably by Carey. Did he need to? Who knows. He is a Bash Brother, after all. Early win to Adelaide.
Some ‘Bash Brothers’ video montage action on Channel Seven now, accompanied by Thin Lizzy’s Boys Are Back In Town. It abruptly morphs into Billy Idol’s Don’t You Forget About Me, before rolling through slow motion clippage of Joe Burns walking toward the camera. Frankly I’m all for this kitsch material.
Minutes away.
Lynn says he would have batted first anyway
As you would! It means we’ll get an early look at Rashid Khan, who in most people’s eyes almost single-handedly won Adelaide the competition last year. I’m catching a few people tipping a Heat upset victory here, but at this point it’s hard to separate sophisticated tactical analysis from bald hype. Personally, I think Adelaide look very strong across the park, and it’s hard to go past them.
I completely ADORE the idea of replacing a coin toss with roofs or flats from a bat toss and then modifying the bat to eliminate the roof/flatness. Glorious madness. #BBL08 off to a wonderfully ridiculous start.
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 19, 2018
Ingram called ‘Roofs’, and called correctly
I’ve got a clip below. Please note Hayden’s distribution of the bat, rolling it forward, underhanded, with overspin, to created the flip. Again, this runs contrary to my own backyard experience - we used to toss the bat about twice the height, and impart aggressive backspin on it. I don’t really know why, guess it felt right. I have to acknowledge how triggered I feel by everything about the new, official, batflipping method here. I will recover.
Captain @CAIngram41 wins the first ever bat flip and elects to field! #BBL08 #BlueEnergy pic.twitter.com/VUDnEDb9li
— Adelaide Strikers (@StrikersBBL) December 19, 2018
Updated
Adelaide have won the bat flip and will bowl
I’m going to find a clip of the flip itself. Early reports are it was performed by Matt Hayden in very tight jeans.
Teams here:
.@StrikersBBL to BOWL first after winning the t̶o̶s̶s̶ flip.
— 7 Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2018
Strikers: Carey, Weatherald, Ingram, Short, Wells, Lehmann, Neser, Rashid, Siddle, Stanlake, Laughlin
Heat: McCullum, Bryant, Lynn, Burns, Heazlett, Cutting, Peirson, Pattinson, Steketee, Swepson, Ur Rahman #BBL08
BBL 08 is here
Greetings all,
Cheers for stopping by the humble OBO as we gear up for the glitz, the glamour, and the gateway cricket that is BBL, edition 8 (do you say ‘oh-eight’, or just eight? So many conventions still to sort. Let’s help each other).
Tonight heralds the start of a two-month season. More games, more sixes, more light and fire, more broadcasters etc. We’re at The Gabba, a venue so-far unloved in the Australian summer, and it will be the home town Heat versus the reigning premiers, Adelaide Strikers (is there a ‘The’ there? Again, please help).
Brisbane, fuelled by Bash Brothers (does that moniker work in 2018?) Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum, finished a disappointing 7th last year, but are widely tipped to finish in the top four this year, as though anyone could really say. They tend to flatter to deceive. Beyond that muscular, sinewy duo is a spate of Queensland mainstays like Burns, Cutting, Labuschagne, Swepson and Renshaw, but more eyes will be on James Pattinson, who continues to turn heads as he completes another month without disastrously breaking down. The Heat also have Mujeeb Ur Rahman – a feted, 17 year old Afghani ‘mystery spinner’, following the footsteps of T20 superstar, Rashid Khan (‘Rash’ for short, I once heard Jason Gillespie call him this).
The latter two of course form the lead act/coach double for the Strikers, who start the competition well backed to go deep. Alongside Khan, the Strikers boast the raw pace of Billy Stanlake, the mercurial blade of Jake Lehmann, BBL’s all-time leading wicket-taker Ben Laughlin, the muscular rig of Colin Ingram, and Australia’s rising star Alex Carey. It’s a strong and balanced line-up, and I’d fancy them tonight.
We’re about thirty minutes away from commencement. There’s an enormous crowd at the Gabba for the contest, which is always pleasing. I’m looking for information on the new coin toss, or should I say, ‘bat flip’. I was 100 per cent willing to back the shameless gimmick until I learned that instead of calling it ‘hills or flats’ (as 80%) of the country does, it will instead be called ‘roofs or flats’, to underscore Victoria’s stranglehold on the cultural and linguistic customs of Australian cricket. Moreover, both sides of the bat are flat. I understand this from a fifty-fifty perspective, but it’s also like calling Thursday Friday. It’s just not what it says it is.
Vent your spleen here. I’m at sam.perry.freelance@guardian.co.uk, or @sjjperry. First ball coming soon.
Anticipation building tonight at the Gabba... but rooftops is not actually a rooftop! #BBL08 @FoxCricket pic.twitter.com/wzAc9aA6kU
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) December 19, 2018
