Teams Status
Perth Scorchers
Perth Scorchers now has five wins in as many matches and remain unbeaten so far this season, thanks to their win in their last game against now other than the Renegades, whom they face again on Boxing Day.
Their flawless record was not expected to come under threat in the last game as the Renegades were and are the bottom-most side on the points table and have won just one match so far this season.
But the Renegades did not go down without a fight. After the Scorchers posted a massive 206 and the Renegades lost Mackenzie Harvey in the very first over, it was expected to be a one-sided affair. But then Melbourne’s Aaron Finch and Nic Maddinson kept it close and they were 141-2 at one point in the 16th over. A win was still difficult but not out of the question or impossible.
For Perth, Mitchell Marsh was once again superb with a 53-ball 86 that earned him another man of the match award but the value of Laurie Evans’ 42 off 16 at a gargantuan strike rate of 262.5 cannot be discounted either.
Melbourne Renegades
Melbourne Renegades have added another loss to their fast deteriorating CV and are still rooted to the bottom of the points table.
That said, they now have more than a glimmer of hope that their immediate future will be better than their immediate past. That’s because Aaron Finch is back to provide a much-needed batting boost up top, and his presence, as well as instant impact, saw the Renegades give a real shot at tracking down the massive 207-run target.
Their bowling had been decent in the first three games but in this one, it failed completely, with the primary culprits being their imported ball hurlers. England’s Reece Topley and Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan collectively conceded 89 runs in their eight overs and did not pick up a wicket.
For all there is wrong with them, there is now hope for Melbourne that better days are ahead.
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