The BBL is not broken and doesn’t need fixing gimmicky rules, as shown by Friday night’s enthralling Challenger final at the SCG.
Amid reports that Cricket Australia’s rulemakers are considering baseball-style changes like double play run-outs and designated hitters, the Thunder and Sixers played out a classic T20 stoush that went right down to the wire.
The Thunder scrambled their way home to a four-wicket victory with seven balls to spare to upset their cross-town rivals and advance to Monday’s final against the Hurricanes in Hobart.
And there was even a good old-fashioned dose of controversy with Matthew Gilkes run out for 26 in the Thunder’s run-chase after a Hayden Kerr throw was fumbled by Jack Edwards as it hit the stumps.
After watching many replays in slow motion, TV umpire Phillip Gillespie ruled in favour of the Sixers, saying “I’m satisfied that the ball has impacted the stumps”.
The bails lit up the split-second the ball seemed to simultaneously touch Edwards’ hands but it was rough on Gilkes that he was given out considering the TV umpire could not be certain that it wasn’t the Sixers skipper’s hand that broke the wicket first.
Edwards appeared to be disappointed that he had botched the run-out attempt after Kerr’s throw came in with Gilkes short of his ground as he tries to scamper back for a second run but he ended up with a smile on his face after the verdict went his team’s way.
The Sixers started the match on the back foot with Edwards falling to Nathan McAndrew for seven and Wes Agar dismissing Kurtis Patterson for 11.
When Josh Philippe was unluckily run out after backing up too far when Tanveer Sangha deflected the ball onto the stumps after dropping a sharp return catch chance, the hosts were in strife at 3-50 before Moises Henriques thumped a run-a-ball 29.
Ben Dwarshuis slammed 30 off 20 and Jordan Silk added an unbeaten 43 off 30 in the closing overs to lift the Sixers to 7-151.
The Thunder got off to a flyer before David Warner miscued Mitch Perry to Edwards at mid-on with 11 against his name and 29 on the board by the end of the third over.
Jason Sangha continued the hot start before he was claimed in the deep at mid wicket off English spinner Jofer Chahan for 30 off 19.
After the contentious Gilkes exit, Sam Billings steadied the ship but Hugh Weigben was castled by Kerr to make it 4-100 after 13 overs.
Billings and Chohan nearly gave a glimpse of the future with a not quite double play. Chohan caught a bump ball from his countryman then hit Billings with his throw as he tried to run him out with the ball ricocheting off the Thunder batter’s butt before hitting the stumps.
But fortunately for Billings, he was back in his crease after that helter-skelter skirmish.
Billings had another lucky escape in the next over when Silk, renowned as the BBL’s best fielder, fluffed a run-out chance when he went for a one-handed diving pick-up with the batter stranded mid-pitch.
Just when it looked like the Thunder were cruising, Edwards jagged an off-cutter through Chris Green’s defences on 15 and the westerners were left five down with 24 runs to get from the final 19 deliveries.
Tom Andrews celebrates with his team after taking a wicket. (Photo by Mark Kolbe Photography/Getty Images)
English import George Garton contributed just two before Kerr made his stumps go ker-plunk.
Silk somehow stuffed up another easy run-out of Billings by his high standards from close range as the pressure ramped up on each side in the frenetic finish
And Billings cashed in with an enormous six into the Bill O’Reilly Stand to put a dagger into the Sixers.
McAndrew finished the job in style in the penultimate over with a couple of boundaries and a six to send the Thunder into their first final since their lone championship in 2015-16.
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