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Sean Abbott has continued his push for a World Cup berth, picking up two key scalps in the Sydney Sixers’ eight-wicket Big Bash League win over the Melbourne Renegades.
Abbott continued his purple patch by taking 2-20 off four overs as he helped restrict the Renegades to 7-154 before Nic Maddinson (84no off 54) guided the home team over the line off 18.4 overs at the SCG.
The 22-year-old dismissed Aaron Finch (20 off 18) and Dwayne Bravo (22 off 16) just as both threatened to push the Renegades into a commanding position in front of 12,789 fans on Friday night.
Wade (35 off 18) and Aaron Finch combined to get the Renegades off to a flying start, with the visitors reaching 1-68 in the seventh over before Abbott stemmed the tide when he had the national T20 captain caught on the boundary.
Bravo looked ominous when he plundered back-to-back sixes off Doug Bollinger before Abbott snared the wicket of the West Indies allrounder with the first ball of his third over.
It was the second time in a week Abbott had starred with the ball at the ground after he took eight wickets – including 6-14 in the second innings – for NSW in their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland.
Callum Ferguson (40 off 32) top scored for Melbourne however Abbott and veteran paceman Brett Lee, who provided an excellent spell of death bowling to finish with 2-21, restricted the Renegades to a modest total.
It was a welcome return to cricket for Maddinson, after he sat out NSW’s last Shield clash because he was still grieving the death of teammate Phillip Hughes.
He blasted four fours and six sixes in a commanding display which ensured the Sixers’ run chase was never really in doubt.
After being dropped from the Australian side for the Brisbane Test, Renegades paceman Peter Siddle took 0-29 off three overs.
Maddinson said after sitting out NSW’s Shield game last week, he was itching to go once he got to the crease.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been involved in a first-class game now, just over three weeks now,” he said.
“So I was a little bit restless to start and it probably showed at the start of my innings as well.
“I thought once I got through that first six to 10 balls I felt underway.”
Finch described his side’s fielding as “diabolical” but felt they were never really out of the game until Maddinson and Moises Henriques (36 off 32) unleashed late in the innings.
He described Abbott’s performance as exceptional and said he had the makings of a long-term national player.
Asked if he would like to see Abbott in the Australian side for the World Cup, Finch said the allrounder just had to maintain his form.
“(The World Cup) is quite a while away, there’s still a lot of cricket to go in this tournament yet,” Finch said.
“But the way he has performed when he has got his opportunities has been outstanding, you can’t knock that.”
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