Just to give us a change from discussing Cody Leggett, the silly season is upon us again which means a diet of Kentucky fried 20/20 cricket. Not everyones cup of tea or bucket of fat I know, but it does get exciting at times I have to admit. This year there are some new overseas players involved including AB De Villiers, Dale Steyn, Liam Livingston, Tom Banton ( A new Kevin Peterson according to the pundits) and a number of mystery spinners from Afghanistan and Nepal.
As far as the Scorchers are concerned there has been an exodus of experience since last seasons disappointing campaign with Shaun Marsh, NCN and Cartwright amongst those who have gone to other teams. Coming in are two new overseas players, Liam Livingstone and Chris Jordan. Don’t know a lot about Livingstone but Jordon is a good pick up and a excellent death bowler who will make up for the loss of A J Tye who I believe is out injured for the season. Also coming in are Kurtis Patterson and Fawed Ahmed who will be particularly handy on Eastern states pitches.
The loss of Berendorff and Tye has weakened the bowling unit somewhat so the batting will have to be better this year and there will be a lot of onus on Bancroft, Patterson, Mitch Marsh, Cam Green and Ashton Turner to have big seasons.
I think the Scorchers might struggle again Mike as you say they have had a fair few good T20 players leave.
Jordan should be a handy pick up, dont know much about Livingston, Patterson has been injured all cricket season thus far after making his Test debut last summer & Fawad should be an improvement on last years leggie the late great Abdul Qadir’s son.
Turner has been abysmal in the SS so far this season hopefully the freedom of T20 stuff can turn around his form, M.Marsh could be back from his brain fade, Bancroft has been horrible in the SS, no Behrendorff or Tye (who I reckon most have worked out anyway now) will be interesting that is for sure!
Looks like BBL IX is off to a reasonable start.Up at the Gabba,Heat V Thunder.Crowd of around 30,000.
Thunder started ok but are losing wickets.3-42 off 5 overs
Boy oh boy don’t the Scorchers look like a train wreck early in BBL 9.The 6ers have give the orange+blacks a real spanking. Bowled and batted +fielded badly tonight.
WA boy Phillipe making the Scorchers pay big time tonight GTR.
Amazing to think we have allowed the likes of Phillipe, S.Marsh, Short, Stoinis, Coulter-Nile, Cartwright etc go East whilst we keep the likes of Bancroft & Turner and then recruit the Pom Livingston who to be fair copped an absolutely disgraceful lbw decision.
Another wooden spoon coming up for Voges mob!
Yes it was a very poor performance but the SCG is a graveyard for WA teams. Mind you Josh Phillipe seems to quite like the place. The WA Hierarchy may be driving yet another promising young batsman towards another state due to inept selection. I will hold judgement on the Scorchers to see if they play any better at home this weekend. They will be coming up against Shaun Marsh with a point to prove so it wont get any easier. Really Bancroft and Turner need to go back to grade cricket to try and get some confidence back, the only problem is that Sam Whiteman is one of the reserve batsmen and he is just as out of nick as the other 2. Again Cam Green continues to be the light at the end of the tunnel for both the Warriors and the Scorchers
They just looked like having a big bash. Too many caught out deep trying to do what Fuzzy ended up doing. Two great sixes & 17 runs off the over..
Sydney played better cricket & all over by 6 overs.. EX WA Phillipe looked at home in Sydney..
This Qais Ahmed playing for Hobart looks a very promising young leg spinner.
This Qais Ahmed playing for Hobart looks a very promising young leg spinner.
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A few of the team’s have recruited well BH.Dale Stein+highly rated leggie from Nepal at the Stars+AB Devilius at the Heat after new year+Zaheer Khan.
Much needed win for the Scorchers tonight. Lots of theatre with the battle of the Marsh brothers providing a real atmosphere to the game. Both Shaun and Mitch did well and it was good to see most of the Scorchers fans were supportive of Shaun ( although there were a minority of morons that booed - always will be that element)
The Scorchers have got an absolute gun recruit in Chris Jordon if tonight is any indication. His bowling was spot on, his fielding sharp, topped off by that amazing catch in the 18th over and also his sharing the benefit of his experience with the other bowlers and the captain. Fawad Ahmed looks like he will become a crowd favourite as well. His last over turned the whole game around when it looked like the Renegades may have a sneaky chance of snatching the game via an excellent partnership between Marsh and Webster. In the 18th over Fawad removed both Marsh and Christian to pretty much end the game as a contest.
It was pleasing to see the clean striking from Bancroft, Turner and Mitch Marsh and the score of 196 was over par even on the flat wicket. Jury still out I reckon on Liam Livingstone. He batted OK but looked a bit lumbering and awkward in the field. He comes with big wraps so I’m sure he will show his wares at some stage
Yeah Mike Jordan is a very good pick up for the PS as you say his bowling is good, fielding very good (last night a brilliant catch & flick up with his boot to his Pommy mate), he is a big hitting lower order batsman & not afraid to offer some tactical advice & leadership which is needed down there.
A much better batting performance last night but the bowling (aside from Fawad & Jordan) is still very average.
Sydney 6ers V Heat.Heat batting first and Chris Lynn has put on a show 92 [34].
Another piss poor performance with the ball by the PS giving up virtually 200 in only 18 overs and then after an electrifying start by the openers putting on 124 in only 8 or 9 overs they inexplicably fell apart like a Chinese Motorbike with the bat yet again!
Spot on BH. In the first 3 games the bowlers have given up an average of well over 10 runs per over. Even in the win against the Renegades they conceded more than 9. They seem to lack a guy like Rashid Khan who can turn around the momentum of the game as he did last night. Hopefully Kelly will be fit for the boxing day match as he is one bowler who is good at keeping things tight. The only positive as you said was the batting of Livingstone and Inglis
Some real rookie mistakes with the bat last night.
Inglis clearly didn’t have a good read of the game, and didn’t pick the wrong un, Two wickets in two balls took the wind right out of the sails.
Who ever sent Ashton Turner in at 3 needs to be shot. he is terrible against spin and Bancroft should bat there.
Shots played by Bancroft and Marsh were undisciplined. Those two guys needed to take the game as deep as possible, if they were both together in the last over, even with 16 needed the pressure goes onto the bowlers with one bad ball.
Gifted Adelaide a game which is disappointing because Perth wont win to many
Ashton Agar caught off the pads off his brothers bowling . It was a leg side wide and should not of played a shot.
Cant argue with that either, that was another brain explosion which stopped Scorchers from winning the game
Lets face it guys M.Marsh is not a Captain’s bootlace that brain fade earlier this season should have been enough to remove him from the role for good, whilst the jury is well and truly out on Voges as a Coach and I am not convinced the management off the park is much chop either.
Too many guys playing on name alone BH…Voges is safe mate after winning the recent Marsh ODI comp…never seen a games momentum change so much in that Kelly last over…so many piss poor dismissals…nature of T20 I know…but that Scorchers side looks ordinary to say the least
Did hear AJ Thy interview on the radio yesterday. He’s making a good recovery from his elbow injury.Thy and Richardson opening the bowling will dominate the batsmen more than they get spanked. Which brings our average players into the game that are exposed atm.