The Brisbane Heat-Melbourne Renegades Big Bash clash at the Gabba last night was meaningful to both sides in front of a record crowd of 35,112.
Victory for the Heat and a home semi-final awaited, a win for the Renegades and they had a genuine sniff of a berth in the semis themselves.
It was fitting such a vital game should go down to the wire.
But nobody, repeat nobody, could possibly have predicted the way that final over panned out.
The equation – the Heat 7-182 chasing 199 needed 18 runs off six deliveries from 34-year-old paceman Nathan Rimmington, a veteran of 38 Sheffield Shield games, 50 interstate one-dayers, and 80 T20s.
Ball one – despite his experience, Rimmington choked with a wide, and a big wide at that.
Equation – the Heat needed 17 runs off six deliveries.
Ball two – Rimmington’s delivery was right in the mayor’s office, and Joe Burns slammed it for six.
Equation – the Heat needed 11 runs off five deliveries.
Ball three – did Rimmingon learn from his gift delivery? No, it was again in the mayor’s office, and Burns repeated the dose.
Equation – the Heat needed five runs off four deliveries.
Ball four – at last Rimmington did learn with a delivery outside off stump which Burns lobbed to Thisara Perera on the drive – the Heat 8-195.
Equation – the Heat needed five runs off three deliveries, now with two wickets in hand.
Ball five – bloody hell, Rimmington bowled another wide, he’s lost the plot.
Equation – the Heat needed just four runs off three deliveries.
Ball six – now the final over became really bizarre. Nick Buchanan drove to Aaron Finch at wide mid off and set off for a precious run. For the first time in the over, Rimmington became a first class cricketer, positioning himself behind the stumps for Finch’s return to run Buchanan out – the Heat 9-196.
Equation – the Heat needed four runs off two deliveries with just one wicket in hand.
Ball seven – you wouldn’t believe it, but Rimmington bowled another wide, this one a wild full toss – unbelievable.
Equation – the Heat needed three runs off two deliveries.
Ball eight – Rimmington’s delivery was wide of off stump, but fractionally inside the wide marker – no run.
Equation – the Heat needed three runs off the final delivery.
Ball nine – and a salute to captain Finch who gave Rimmington a big smile when he had nothing to smile about with his go-to bowler. You wouldn’t believe it, but Rimmington bowled yet another wide.
But all hell broke loose as dumb calling between Mitchell Swepson and Mark Steketee saw a swift-thinking keeper Andrew Harriott’s throw to Rimmington and run out Swepson for the Heat to be all out 198. One run shy.
How on earth Nathan Rimmington’s nine delivery over with four wides, 16 runs, two sixes, and three wickets got the Renegades home was beyond belief.
The glorious uncertainty of cricket was never more evident.
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