Okay that’s all from us
But thanks for joining me for this nail-biting Big Bash League clash. The weirdest thing is happening in the tournament: The Sydney Thunder, once a laughing stock and now pretty much staffed by senior citizens, is actually winning games. Good on ‘em and good night to you.
Outstanding batting performance from both @Uz_Khawaja & @KP24 wonderful entertainment @BBL #MCG
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) December 20, 2015
King Kallis! What a finish. Well done Huss and @ThunderBBL boys #ThunderNation #twofromtwo
— Alex Blackwell (@AlexBlackwell2) December 20, 2015
What a game of Big Bash cricket that was
It had everything you could want; a majestic hundred from Usman Khawaja, a superb and sustained moment of brilliance from Kevin Pietersen and a last-gasp finish in which Jacques Kallis bested James ‘The Finisher’ Faulkner. He got his side home for a 1-run victory.
Now that's a finish! 🙌🏻 #BBL05 #Thriller
— Peter Siddle (@petersiddle403) December 20, 2015
Sydney Thunder win it by 1 run thanks to a gem of an over from Kallis!
20th over: Melbourne Stars 177-5 (Faulkner 45, Handscomb 0)
The Thunder are home! What a finish!
Faulkner was living up to his nickname here and clubbed a pair of twos from the first two deliveries of the Kallis over, so his side needed 6 from 4 deliveries. Andre Russell looked peeved down in the deep.
Again the Stars pair opted to scamper back for a second, this time on Rohrer’s arm, and the fieldsman left keeper Chris Hartley with too much ground to make to break the stumps so Faulkner’s dive for his ground wassuccessful.
4 needed from 3 deliveries: Kallis produces a screaming yorker that passes Faulkner between his pads and leg stump. It’s a dot!
4 needed from 2: Faulkner tries a ramp and misses it! Another dot! Incredible stuff.
4 needed from the final delivery: All the fieldsmen are back. Faulkner grimaces. Kallis runs in. Faulkner thumps it out into the deep but only gets two! The Thunder win it by one run! Old man Kallis is the hero!
19th over: Melbourne Stars 169-5 (Faulkner 37, Handscomb 0)
Oof, new man Peter Handscomb almost sacrifices himself so that Faulkner can get back for two and realising that Sandhu is something of a liability in the deep, they’re happy to take two more to him from the next delivery too. McKay has produced some handy yorkers here but James ‘The Finisher’ Faulkner is getting them away for runs when he can. Faulkner retains the strike and the Stars need 10 runs from the final over. Jacques Kallis will bowl it. Strap in.
The Duke is nervous. 10 needed off the final over! #BBL05 pic.twitter.com/vVvwOKx4UJ
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 20, 2015
WICKET! Pietersen c Ahmed b McKay - 76 off 42 (Melbourne Stars 164-5)
The game is there to be won for either side and Mike Hussey turns to Clinton McKay, who tempts Pietersen into a big hook shot down to fine leg and Fawad Ahmed runs around to hold an excellent if nervy catch. It’s on at the MCG! The Stars need 15 off ten balls and Pietersen is gone!
18th over: Melbourne Stars 163-4 (Pietersen 76, Faulkner 31)
Andre Russell is back for his final over but it might be too late unless he can make a breakthrough. The Thunder were cruising a few overs back and now Kevin Pietersen is tearing them to shreds with the capable support of James Faulkner.
Faulkner backs away to leg and angles Russell’s short one to the vacant boundary at third man. “It wasn’t a bad delivery,” says Ricky Ponting, though I still think he’s caught in the mindset of a batsman. That was money for old rope given the game situation. Pietersen finishes the over with two and the Stars need 16 off the final two overs. Pietersen looks like he needs some oxygen. He’s been marvellous tonight.
17th over: Melbourne Stars 152-4 (Pietersen 74, Faulkner 22)
Sandhu got away with plenty in his first two overs but Pietersen flays him here, hopping about the crease before crashing a resounding six over long-off and then an even better effort over cow next up. That one came down with snow on it. There’s more. Next up Pietersen clobbers four more over mid wicket and Sandhu is being taken apart.
The Stars, struggling ten minutes back, are right in this. The only thing that can stop Pietersen is the seagull that delays Sandhu’s fourth delivery, which Pietersen eventually clubs down to long on for one and then finishes the over with an absurd six flicked down to fine leg. Sandhu has been destroyed. 24 came from the over. Now the Stars need 27 off 18.
“He’s [Faulkner] the finisher, I’m not supposed to be doing this,” jokes Pietersen at the end of the over.
"I'm going to go after his off-cutter". Off-cutter next ball, KP chins it for six over midwicket. #BBL05
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) December 20, 2015
16th over: Melbourne Stars 128-4 (Pietersen 51, Faulkner 21)
It might be a bit of a gamble but Clint McKay is back with Faulkner and Pietersen suddenly finding some momentum. He’s canny though, McKay, and delivers up a nice variety of cutters and slower balls early in the over. But he errs with his fourth, to which Pietersen shuffles across outside his off stump and hoicks a four over backward square leg. That brings up 50 for KP. He’d earned his dough today and ends the over with an audacious reverse pull for one.
15th over: Melbourne Stars 120-4 (Pietersen 46, Faulkner 18)
It was a long time between drinks but James Faulkner has finally muscled a boundary out to cow when Watson reappears. Pietersen’s chuckling away with the commentary crew and again, you sort of wonder whether he needs the distraction with the game in its current state. Watson gifts him a full toss with the final delivery of the over and the Englishman cracks it high and long over the fence at deep mid-wicket. That helps.
14th over: Melbourne Stars 107-4 (Pietersen 40, Faulkner 11)
Andre Russell is back for a bowl and if not for a mis-hit, Pietersen might have put his first delivery straight down the throat of the man at long on. He gets two and then Russell almost maims him with a wild full toss next up. It’s a no ball and Pietersen does well to deflect it away for a single. Tasked with handling the free hit, Faulkner tonks it out to cow for two.
72 runs from 36 balls, thats the equation for the @StarsBBL 2 a ball #ThunderNation #BBL05
— Sydney Thunder (@ThunderBBL) December 20, 2015
13th over: Melbourne Stars 98-4 (Pietersen 36, Faulkner 7)
Now Jacques Kallis steps up to the plate with some miserly seamers, from which singles are again the only viable option. The Stars are in desperate need of a flurry of boundaries here because the required rate has blown out to 11.3 per over.
12th over: Melbourne Stars 93-4 (Pietersen 34, Faulkner 4)
Ahmed is dispatched for another big six here when Pietersen belts him over the rope at long on. Again Ahmed tightens the screws after the early-over damage and there’s only singles thereafter but the bowler wears a rueful frown and shakes his head in disappointment as his cap is returned to him. 86 off 48 is the equation for the Stars.
11th over: Melbourne Stars 84-4 (Pietersen 26, Faulkner 3)
Pietersen’s Twitter sparring partner James Faulkner arrives at the crease now and starts with three runs to deep mid-wicket. A Pietersen single finishes the over. He’ll need to be the man to get the Stars home if they’re to win this one, you feel.
Looks like punter is getting ready for the #ForceAwakens #Concentrate #LightSide #BBL05 pic.twitter.com/EdrmwhT7kc
— TEN Sport (@tensporttv) December 20, 2015
WICKET! D Hussey bowled Watson 0 (Melbourne Stars 80-4)
Watson claims David Hussey! And it’s another awful shot from a Stars batsman as the skipper tries to belt it out to cow and misses, instead looking back on the zing bails lighting up like a Christmas tree. Pietersen belted Watson for a boundary earlier in the over but the bowler has struck back with another momentum-sapping wicket.
10th over: Melbourne Stars 74-3 (Pietersen 21, D Hussey 0)
Fawad Ahmed continues with his leg-spin and Pietersen has his eye in now, so blasts him over the top of extra cover for a thumping six. Either side of that it’s another stingy and productive over from Ahmed, who is very hard to get away when he finds his rhythm.
WICKET! Maxwell c Sandhu b Kallis 2 (Melbourne Stars 67-3)
9th over: Melbourne Stars 67-3 (Pietersen 15, D Hussey 0)
Kallis strikes! And its Maxwell who goes, slogging a truly awful shot towards mid-wicket and being caught easy as you like by Gurinder Sandhu. He laboured through that innings and now he’s gone, the Victorian. He’ll be very disappointed with his efforts there after he’d bowled so well earlier in the night.
8th over: Melbourne Stars 60-2 (Pietersen 8, Maxwell 2)
Fawad Ahmed’s on for his first ball of the night and would be within his rights to be slightly distracted as the non-striker Pietersen chuckles away with the Ten commentary team as he’s moving in to deliver the ball. Can’t be great for Pietersen’s concentration either as they jabber away in his ear before he faces up. Ahmed’s over cost five singles, which is tidy from the spinner.
7th over: Melbourne Stars 55-2 (Pietersen 5, Maxwell 0)
Mike Hussey figures that this is the ideal time for Shane Watson to get through a few of his overs, while the new pair are still finding their feet and he delivers just what’s required in the first half of the over; three dots in a row before a wide and a lofted four to long on from Pietersen wipe the smile from his face. That’s pretty much the only damage though. Good stuff from Watto.
6th over: Melbourne Stars 49-2 (Pietersen 0, Maxwell 0)
Kevin Pietersen and Maxwell are at the crease now that Russell has wreaked that havoc and there’s a huge no ball from Russell in the mix as well, but his excellent over ends with no further loss for the Stars. They’ll have to consolidate now after losing both of their openers.
WICKET! Stoinis lbw Russell 27 (Melbourne Stars 48-2)
Russell is on a hat trick! Stoinis in on strike after the loss of Wright and Russell pins him in front the very next ball! It’s all happening now as replays reveal it would have sailed at least six inches over the top of the stumps. Stoinis is not pleased, it’s safe to say.
WICKET! Wrigtht c M Hussey b A Russell 18 (Melbourne Stars 48-1)
The breakthrough arrives! And it’s Andre Russell who draws Wright into another artless heave. Mike Hussey has no problems with the simple catch.
5th over: Melbourne Stars 47-0 (Stoinis 26, Wright 18)
Gurinder Sandhu has switched ends now and reappears with his usual cutters, duckers and slower ones. I still kind of wonder how good he’d be if he just charged in and really let it fly. Wright hammers him to leg for a boundary and this partnership is becoming a real problem for Michael Hussey’s men. The Stars will do it easy at this rate.
4th over: Melbourne Stars 40-0 (Stoinis 24, Wright 13)
One day there will be cricketer’s with hair that is altered via CGI, but until technology takes us this far we have Jacques Kallis and his fascinating barnet. Stoinis welcomes him to the fray by belting four more through mid-on. Zero respect given. Wright treats Kallis like a rental car too, charging down the wicket like a man possessed and thrashing him through mid-on for a boundary we’ve all seen before...in park cricket. The final ball of the over is edged over the head of the keeper for four. Kallis looks like he wants to retire mid-game.
WHACK! Stoinis welcomes Kallis into the attack. Stars 0-31 in the fourth over. LIVE https://t.co/kKkIvgs9vQ #BBL05 https://t.co/lK9KqIoZnI
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 20, 2015
3rd over: Melbourne Stars 26-0 (Stoinis 19, Wright 5)
Clint McKay comes on to replace Andre Russell and his first ball is plastered over mid-off by Stoinis for a lofted boundary and a few deliveries later he’s even more disdainful slapping one to the rope at deep extra cover. McKay is only 32 years old and a quality bowler but right at this second, Stoinis is making him look an old man. Adam Gilchrist says that the home broadcaster will have Kevin Pietersen microphoned up later. Not sure if that’s a promise or a threat.
2nd over: Melbourne Stars 13-0 (Stoinis 7, Wright 4)
Gurninder Sandhu didn’t set the world on fire in the “Sydney Smash” a few days back and he starts tonight’s spell with the cardinal sin: a front-foot no ball. At least his slower ball next up prevents damage when Luke Wright is granted a free hit. A few balls later Sandhu drags down a short one that doesn’t really function as a slower ball so Wright biffs it to the boundary at cow in his typical agricultural style. Khawaja to Wright is like Mozart to Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music.
1st over: Melbourne Stars 6-0 (Stoinis 6, Wright 0)
It’s Luke Wright and Marcus Stoinis to open up the Stars innings and Stoinis is on strike to West Indian Andre Russell to begin with. He cracks him through square leg to begin with a boundary. If you’re drinking every time the local broadcasting team says “big Dre-Russ”, I guess you’re already passed out on the floor.
Anyway, Stoinis is almost caught by Blizzard at short leg, which is remarkable for the fact that the Thunder are actually using one. Strange sight in a Twenty20 game. Adam Gilchrist calls it a “hostile” opening over from Russell but I don’t think they’ll ever include it as an extra feature on Fire in Babylon DVDs.
This looks like a low-rent promotional exercise
Does anyone remember when the MCG used to host the Playstation challenge in the break? It was dumb but brilliant. This just looks dumb, though I guess there’s the possibility of spills.
Getting ready for the @MitsubishiAust Dash for Cash at innings break! #TeamGreen pic.twitter.com/Khqb4Qp6wk
— Melbourne Stars (@StarsBBL) December 20, 2015
That James Faulkner catch earlier
John Dyson, eat yer heart out.
@tensporttv @JamesFaulkner44 @StarsBBL reminded me of this little number.... pic.twitter.com/VUEDp0qsIA
— Josh Hull (@Crouchy35) December 20, 2015
The Stars need 179 to win
And this man was in sublime touch.
.@ThunderBBL post 6-179 from their 20 overs with @Uz_Khawaja's 109* leading the way: https://t.co/taiLabQs14 #BBL05 pic.twitter.com/X7E0t6GThp
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 20, 2015
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The Usman Khawaja clinic ends as the Thunder post 179-6 from their 20 overs
20th over: Sydney Thunder 178-6 (Khawaja 109, McKay 9)
Faulkner moves across to bowl the final over of the Thunder innings and starts in fairly ordinary style with a wide. He also fires down a no-ball to McKay when he sends down a high full toss and Khawaja flicks the follow-up over fine leg with another delightful ramp shot. It’s not all bad bowling by Faulkner but he bowls another wide to McKay and the over drags on forever. McKay hacks the penultimate ball down to fine leg for two and the last one is hammered high and deep over long-on for six. Nice finish! After an Usman Khawaja batting masterclass, the Stars will be chasing 179 for victory
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WICKET! Rohrer c Maxwell b Boland 1 (Sydney Thunder 159-6)
19th over: Sydney Thunder 160-6 (Khawaja 103, McKay 0)
Khawaja reaches a wonderful hundred by stroking two through cover and looks to the heavens as he salutes the crowd and raises his bat. That came from 62 balls and featured 11 fours and 3 sixes. So far. He might really unleash now, but Scott Boland is producing some very effective yorkers from which he can do little other than attempt to squeeze singles.
Khawaja gets off strike but Boland delivers the goods when he has Rohrer holing out to Maxwell in the deep from the next delivery. There’s an eventful end to the over when Khawaja smashes what looks a certin six to long on but Pietersen reels it in and throws it back into play. Or was his foot on the rope? Nope, he’s saved five runs there, KP.
18th over: Sydney Thunder 156-5 (Khawaja 99, Rohrer 1)
Khawaja finishes the over with a single to move to 99 with two overs left. He’s playing an absolute blinder here. Big-hitting Ben Rohrer has joined him and immediately got off the mark.
WICKET! Andre Russell c Faulkner b Hastings 22 (Sydney Thunder 154-5)
18th over: Sydney Thunder 154-5 (Khawaja 98)
One would think it might be an idea for John Hastings to pitch it up in his last over – and yes I know they’re slower-ball-bouncers – because Andrew Russell specialises in cross-bat slogs and you sort of bring him into the game when you put it in that zone. He clubs a boundary off the first ball and then gets off strike attempting another. Khawaja jams a single to move to 98 but then Russell bashes one down to long on where James Faulkner holds a wonderful catch, leaping into the air like a salmon and reeling in an Aussie Rules style overhead grab. What a catch!
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17th over: Sydney Thunder 148-4 (Khawaja 97 A Russell 17)
There’s no let up for the Stars here as Andre Russell goes on the attack, flat-batting Scott Boland for four out to cow. Boland fights back very well in the end and 7 from the over is a decent effort given Khawaja’s rampant batting today.
16th over: Sydney Thunder 141-4 (Khawaja 95 A Russell 12)
Khawaja is doing as he pleases now, switching hands and deflecting balls over the head of third man and then going more conventional with a sublime lofted drive over the rope at cow corner. Even a bowler as experienced as James Faulkner is struggling to stop him now. It’s a batting clinic. He moves into the 90s by nonchalantly stroking four more down to cow when Faulkner tries for a slower ball but serves up a full toss and the final delivery is speared through cover for the same result. Khawaja is batting like a dream.
15th over: Sydney Thunder 123-4 (Khawaja 77 A Russell 12)
Adam Zampa’s back for a trundle now and Andre Russell belts him low and hard past the stumps at the bowler’s end to split the deep fieldsmen and pick up four before lofting another to the boundary at deep extra cover. Next up he pulls and his under edge flies between off-stump and the pad of keeper Peter Handscomb so he picks up two. This is a stern test for Zampa and he’s certainly not shrinking from it and finishes the over strongly with variation and a couple of dots.
14th over: Sydney Thunder 113-4 (Khawaja 77 A Russell 2)
Hastings is back and so are his big bouncers. Even Andre Russell needs a stepladder to get to the first delivery here and Hastings is lucky it’s not called a wide to be honest. A follow-up to Usman Khawaja only registers at 134km/h but it darts past Khawaja’s edge at a rate of knots and his bemused expression says it came through a lot quicker off the pitch than he’d expected.
Hastings is really firing them in and it’s only when he abandons that pace for a slower ball that Khawaja is able take a few steps outside his off stump and play a truly audacious lap for four. That glorious improvisation rattles Hastings a little because when Khawaja shapes to play a repeat dose, the bowler fires it so wide it misses the cut strip for a huge wide. The batsman compounds that bowling error by hammering the final delivery down the ground for a boundary. This is some batting display. Usmania is enveloping the MCG.
WICKET! M Hussey lbw Maxwell - 16 (Sydney Thunder 101-4)
13th over: Sydney Thunder 102-4 (Khawaja 69 A Russell 1)
Adam Gilchrist is talking some mildly enjoyable bollocks about Mike Hussey’s brain computer at the moment but you don’t need mathematics to appreciate the four he thumps through extra cover off Maxwell, but the bowler strikes back immediately when he angles it in to the pads of Mr Cricket and claims another LBW decision. The human calculator is fallible after all.
12th over: Sydney Thunder 93-3 (Khawaja 68 M Hussey 9)
Hastings is back into the attack and thought he had Mike Hussey caught behind but I’m pretty sure he was just foxing to avoid a wide call, which Umpire Shawn Craig duly signals. Hastings goes the bouncer again next up and sort of deserves to be top-edged for four by a streaky Hussey. The Thunder pair squirrel away eight from the over with minimal fuss. They’re still on track for 180 here if they keep moving.
11th over: Sydney Thunder 85-3 (Khawaja 66 M Hussey 3)
Maxwell’s given his third straight over and the Thunder pair are basically conceding that they’re happy with singles while he’s bowling so effectively. Or not. Khawaja loses patience and tries to hit him into the car park but gets a lucky break when his under edge flies past leg stump and runs away for four. The next ball involves a lot less luck; Khawaja lathers it between two men at gully to pick up four more. Twelve off the over isn’t a disaster but Maxwell only bowled one loose one there.
10th over: Sydney Thunder 73-3 (Khawaja 56 M Hussey 1)
Adam Zampa had 1-3 from his first over but the first ball of this one is hammered over his head for six by Usman Khawaja, who’s been as brilliant as his fellow batsmen have been disappointing so far. He reaches his half century from 37 deliveries as he’s joined by David Hussey and the Stars do well to cut off a few more potential boundaries.
One save from Scott Boland at long off is a gem of a fielding effort. There’s a near-impossible return catching chance for Zampa and he grasses it. That was humming though. He did well not to just duck. Khawaja is doing it all himself for the Thunder.
WICKET! Shane Watson lbw Maxwell 1 (Sydney Thunder 59-3
9th over: Sydney Thunder 59-3 (Khawaja 43)
Oh dear. Now Shane Watson departs, trapped plumb in front by Glenn Maxwell with a fast yorker. Watson tried to play a pre-meditated sweep around the corner and got pinned. See ya later, Watto. Maxwell kept it nice and tight with his last over so was entrusted with another here, which hasn’t otherwise been the them of this Stars bowling effort. He’s bowling superbly.
WICKET! Aiden Blizzard c Wright b Zampa 3 (Sydney Thunder 55-2)
8th over: Sydney Thunder 55-2 (Khawaja 40, Watson 0)
Blizzard needs to get moving here lest he waste too many balls that the likes opf Shane Watson, Mike Hussey and Ben Rohrer could be clobbering about late in this Thunder innings. He’s facing up to Adam Zampa as David Hussey continues to ring the changes. He attempts a lusty slog sweep but misses, then holes out to Luke Wright in the deep with an ill-placed slog, departing for 3 off 9! Not a great knock, that one.
7th over: Sydney Thunder 52-1 (Khawaja 38, Blizzard 2)
With the PowerPlay now complete, the field spreads and Glenn Maxwell arrives for a bowl with his wily offies and he’s not giving either batsman much to work with and even has a stifled LBW shoyt against Blizzard. Three off the over is exactly what the skipper ordered.
6th over: Sydney Thunder 49-1 (Khawaja 36, Blizzard 1)
The intent of Blizzard is patently clear tonight and he almost perishes when he mis-times a heave down the ground, which falls just short of mid on and a few balls later Khawaja is equally lucky when he slices Faulkner over gully for a streak boundary. He also gets a single off the final delivery to maintain the strike.
Sensational from Khawaja #BBL05 pic.twitter.com/nQRxRfNPxw
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 20, 2015
5th over: Sydney Thunder 41-1 (Khawaja 29, Blizzard 0)
Aiden Blizzard is the new man at the crease for the Thunder and he’s every bit the short-form specialist now, the left-hander. Hastings zeroes in on his hip and he’s almost off the mark but a single from which he scampers through is actually a leg bye. Khawaja re-asserts himself with a cracking cover drive to the boundary to finish the over. He’s in sublime touch tonight and playing proper cricket shots to boot.
Updated
WICKET! Kallis c Handscomb b Hastings 9 (Sydney Thunder 36-1)
The Stars really needed a wicket here, to say the least, so John ‘The Duke’ Hastings is called upon to stem the tide and search for a breakthrough and you know what? He gets it immediately as Kallis drives expansively but feathers an edge behind. That was a canny bowling change by David Hussey. The Stars are in the game.
4th over: Sydney Thunder 34-0 (Khawaja 25, Kallis 8)
Khawaja starts Hilfenhaus’s second over by dispatching a loose one to the deep cover boundary in typically elegant and disdainful style. I’d walk for three hours to watch this guy bat. There’s a six too when he rocks back a little and cross-bats Hilf over cow for a low, flat maximum. Nobody even cares that Kallis is being starved of strike but when he finally gets it he’s awkwardly deflecting a bouncer down to third man for four. Hilfenhaus is having a ‘mare.
3rd over: Sydney Thunder 18-0 (Khawaja 14, Kallis 3)
“He doesn’t sweat the small stuff” is Englishman Luke Wright’s take on Stars coach Stephen Fleming as Scott Boland arrives for a bowl. That’s a bit disconcerting, no? Isn’t Big Bash all about incremental gains from the small stuff?
Anyway, Boland almost jagged a spot in the Hobart Test team but he veers a little straight to Khawaja and the Aussie batsman wristily whips him for a boundary through fine leg. There’s three more heaved out to deep mid wicket too.
2nd over: Sydney Thunder 11-0 (Khawaja 7, Kallis 3)
James Faulkner pairs with Hilfenhaus to start with and Khawaja drives his first delivery fiercely, but it’s cut off at mid-off. A ball later he squirts a single to get Kallis on strike for the first time and the burly Proteas great turns a single of his own down to fine leg. In case you’re not near a TV, we had a fair bit of rain in Melbourne this afternoon so conditions are a little greasy in the field.
Kallis pushes two from Faulkner’s penultimate delivery, hustling his way between the wickets in quite compelling style. It’s like watching a mobile fridge.
Khawaja is off the mark with a boundary! LIVE: https://t.co/taiLabQs14 #BBL05 https://t.co/hg4LRlil62
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 20, 2015
1st over: Sydney Thunder 6-0 (Khawaja 5, Kallis 0)
Big Ben Hilfenhaus opens up for the Stars with four men on the leg side, which is where he pitches his first delivery and it’s an out-swinging wide to get the Thunder on the board. There’s some early drama when Kallis almost gets run out backing up to far but he avoids the dreaded diamond duck.
Khawaja takes a few balls to find his feet – not unexpected because he’s short on practice as he returns from that hamstring injury – but he hammers big Hilf through mid on for four and then blasts the next through the bowler’s hand for none. That was a very tough chance. You could barely call it one. Khawaja glides one down to third man from the final delivery to keep the strike.
The Stars win the toss and elect to bowl
Our teams tonight
Melbourne Stars: D Hussey (c), S Boland, J Faulkner, P Handscomb, K Pietersen, J Hastings, B Hilfenhaus, G Maxwell, M Stoinis, L Wright, A Zampa. 12th man: E Gulbis
Sydney Thunder: M Hussey (c), F Ahmed, A Blizzard, C Hartley, J Kallis, U Khawaja, C McKay, B Roher, A Russell, G Sandhu, S Watson
Usman Khawaja and Jacques Kallis will open up for the Thunder in a few minutes.
Preamble
As Matthew McConaughey would say, alright alright alright. It’s Kevin Pietersen’s (read: Glenn Maxwell’s) Melbourne Stars. It’s Michael Hussey’s Sydney Thunder. It’s the MCG. It’s lots of short, annoying sentences leading to me informing you that I, Russell Jackson, will be taking you through all of tonight’s action as the lumbering senior citizens of the Thunder take on the slightly more spry Stars.
The big talk pre-game on the telly is that Andre Russell breached the 140km/h mark the other night against the Sixers. Yes folks, welcome to the world of adjusted expectations that is Big Bash League cricket. Feel free to email me throughout the night and let me know what you think of it all. I’m especially interested to know whether you think Freddie Flintoff’s northern pub comedian routine is wearing a little thin. By that, I think you know my thoughts.
Back in a sec with tonight’s teams.
Russ will be here shortly. In the meantime, check out the match report from last night’s game, where the Renegades got over the line against the Heat. There’s also plenty going on in the wicket-filled Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Cawnage, as Tony Greig might have said.
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