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The BBL is associated with big scores and bigger hits but a low-scoring contest can be just as thrilling, if not more so.
Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars were presented with a tricky batting wicket for their Knockout clash at Engee Stadium and the hosts ended up prevailing by 21 runs in a gripping contest with under-rated fast bowler Nathan McAndrew proving the difference with his eye-catching haul of 5-16.
The Thunder not only had to rise above the Stars but their mission was also delayed by lightning with play held up for more than 15 minutes early in the match by strikes in the area even though there was no rain.
After starting the tournament with five straight losses to sit in last place, the Stars surged into the semis on the back of a five-game winning streak but they ultimately came up short yet again to remain without a BBL title.
The Stars are now up to 14 straight years of promising plenty and delivering nothing to mount a strong case for being the biggest under-achievers in Australian professional sport.
For the Thunder, they march on to an all-Sydney Challenger playoff against the Sixers at the SCG on Friday for the right to face the Hurricanes in the final in Hobart on Monday.
With the match reduced to 19 overs per side due to the lightning interlude, the Thunder did well to scrap their way to 7-135.
David Warner went for a duck in the first over when he was the first batter to struggle with the two-paced nature of the pitch, spooning a catch to opposing skipper Marcus Stoinis at cover off Tom Curran.
Matthew Gilkes (28 from 18), Sam Billings (24 from 25) and Ollie Davies (36 from 35) kept the scoreboard ticking over but no Thunder batter was able to hit top gear.
Nathan McAndrew celebrates after taking the wicket of Sam Harper. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Spin was king on the Homebush pitch with Pakistani leg-spinner Usama Mir removing opener Hugh Weibgen and Gilkes as part of his impressive four-over spell of 2-26.
Gilkes is presumably a fan of Public Enemy, mouthing “Chuck D”, or perhaps words to that effect as he fell into Mir’s trap by slogging to Glenn Maxwell at deep mid-wicket.
He had survived a near-miss just before the lightning delay when Curran claimed a low catch off Peter Siddle but third umpire Michael Graham-Smith eventually gave him not out after viewing a zoomed-in replay which showed the ball grazing the turf.
Maxwell made his feelings known to the on-field umpires that it was the kind of catch that cricketers know is out but they now get the benefit of the doubt if there’s any hint of the ball touching the ground on the replay.
Strangely, Graham-Smith was called on to examine, repeatedly, a similar incident in the Stars’ batting innings when Nathan McAndrew signalled he didn’t think he had taken a low catch but the officials still wasted several minutes making sure before letting play continue.
The Stars’ pursuit got off to a terrible start when Sam Harper threw his wicket away as he fell over trying to ramp McAndrew from the third ball of the innings even though he had racked up six from the first two deliveries with conventional shots.
It was safe to say that former Australia coach Justin Langer was far from impressed with Harper’s calamitous whiff which led to his leg stump being rearranged.
“It just doesn’t make sense to me why he would play that cricket shot, knowing also how important these first four overs are,” Langer said on Seven commentary.
McAndrew also removed Tom Rogers for one and Peter Handscomb only made 11 in an eventful return to the BBL for the Victorian veteran as the Stars slumped to 3-27.
Handscomb nicked Wes Agar to Sam Billings before he got off the mark but no Thunder player appealed with the keeper later admitting he did not hear anything due to the crowd noise or see any deviation as the ball careered into his gloves.
His departure brought Maxwell and Stoinis together and the Stars’ biggest stars shone brightly.
Maxwell unveiled some trademark switch hits and also launched leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha about 20 rows back over long on.
While every other batter struggled to be sure of getting willow on leather, Maxwell kept finding the middle of his blade with ease to swing the momentum of the match.
Sussex all-rounder George Garton took the wind out of the visitors’ sails when he dived forward in the deep to scoop up a superb catch to snuff out Stoinis for 15, the equal of the hangers claimed by Ben McDermott and Jack Edwards the previous night in Hobart.
“This is right on the top shelf – full pace, diving in,” said Adam Gilchrist.
“The composure – he had to make a decision very quickly whether to defend or take the opportunity to get rid of one of the most dangerous players in the competition.”
Maxwell top-edged a catch back to Sangha on 28 and the Stars looked dead and buried at 5-68, halfway to their victory target with only 7.4 overs and the tail remaining.
Last rites were being read one ball later when Sangha deceived Curran into a soft dismissal to cover.
Left-arm spinner Tom Andrews continued his impressive breakout summer to trap Usama in front after earlier doing likewise to Handscomb and Warner’s prediction that the unheralded 30-year-old Darwin-born journeyman is bound for a national call-up is looking less outlandish by the match.
McAndrew came back to get rid of the Stars’ last recognised batter in Hilton Cartwright for 15.
Despite some late lusty hitting from Mark Steketee, leaving the Stars in need of 24 from the last two overs, the tail was unable to wag their way over the line with McAndrew keeping his cool to claim the final two wickets as the second-most famous paceman from the Oak Flats Rats club after Brett Lee finished the match in the second-last over.