Rogers, middle order help Renegades edge past Scorchers despite late hiccups
Renegades' chase featured cameos from Bethell, Seifert and Evans even as there was a middle-order collapse
AAP
23-Dec-2024
Tom Rogers took 3 for 22 against Scorchers • Getty Images
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.
Chasing Scorchers' 8 for 143, Renegades were well placed at 3 for 96 in the tenth over, but lost 5 for 44. Captain Will Sutherland scored the winning runs with one over to go.
Scorchers' batters found the going tough on a seaming wicket after being sent in, with Renegades paceman Tom Rogers (3 for 22 off four overs) instrumental in another strong bowling performance.
Cooper Connolly (66 off 50 balls) and BBL debutant Matthew Spoors (29 off 26) were the only double-digit scorers for Scorchers. While Scorchers limped to 4 for 48 at halfway, Renegades bashed 42 off their four powerplay overs.
They remained well ahead of the run rate through cameos from Tim Seifert (28 off 14), Jacob Bethell (30 off 22) and Laurie Evans (24 off 18).
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.