Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars kicked off their Big Bash League 2011-12 campaigns with losses. We’ll bring you the live scores and commentary of the action with the match starting at 6.30 pm local time on December 16.
In the first game for the Heat, their batsmen barely got underway on a difficult SCG track in the first game after an early injury to Brendon McCullum robbed them of any momentum.
Only a late-order cameo from Daniel Christian saved the day for the Heat as they scored 139.
Unfortunately for them, Heat’s lack of incisiveness in their bowling cost them dear. They had no answer to Brad Haddin’s flourish at the start and the Sixers captain saw his team through.
Brisbane may have to look at their bowling options closely for this game.
Daniel Vettori’s injury before the Hobart Test match meant that he missed the previous game. It doesn’t look like he will be fit for this game either.
Instead, Ryan Harris’ presence, after he had pulled out of the previous game because of fitness concerns, will be a huge boost.
The Stars would have thought they had a challenging 153 on board against Sydney Thunder but the bowlers were clueless to the counterattack from Dave Warner.
As a result, pace bowler Jackson Bird has been added to the 12-member squad that lost that game.
Shane Warne’s return to competitive cricket in Australia did not set the Melbourne Cricket Ground on fire but expect him to improve from that showing.
Earlier, David Hussey was missed when he was only on one but went on to make a sterling 52. It is captain Cameron White’s batting that will worry his side a lot.
White’s form this season is scratchy across the three formats of the game at the domestic level. He will need some runs behind his back going into the latter half of the Big Bash League.
It should be an even contest and a spark of brilliance from any one of the players could tilt the game in their favour.
We will bring you the coverage throughout the game at the Gabba in Brisbane and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
Johnno
Guest
Exactly jamesb an higher tv ratings $$$$ mean moor money and more chance of surviving, pro sport is all about money and tv ratings and T20 is alive and well and tests cricket is dead.
jamesb
Guest
Johnno what you also got to remember is test cricket is played during the daytime, from say 10:30am until 5:30-6pm. T20 is on prime time 7:30pm up until around 10:45 pm as it was tonight. So naturally ratings would be higher for T20 at night as opposed to test cricket because people are at work during the daytime.
Johnno
Guest
TEST CRICKET DIED TONIGHT T20 KILLED IT IT WON THE WAR. $$$$$$$ TV RATINGS R.IP TEST CRICKET
Johnno
Guest
your right Jamesb but tv ratings $$$$ and money mean everything pro sport. And the players have spoken by action money $$$$$ they love T20 coz of th money but may enjoy test cricket more but it is all about the money $$$$ an T20 IS WINNING THE FANS WAR. The fans have shown what they want in cricket. T20 and not test cricket just look at the ratings jambs and crowds Test cricket died tonight jambesb R.I.P test cricket
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A bit of a scare, but in the end, it has worked out to be an easy, eight-run win for the Melbourne Stars after Brendon McCullum and Matthew Hayden had provided the Heat with an excellent start. Warne starred with the ball in his hand and got the important wicket of McCullum while Clint McKay got three wickets off his four overs. Earlier, Quiney smashed 97 that was punctuated with five boundaries and six sixes. He mis-hit a few but none of them went to hand and when he was not mis-hitting them, he was sending them over the fence. The next BBL game will be between Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers tomorrow.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That is the match for the Melbourne Stars and they are on the board. Heat still have to win a game from their two matches.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Dot ball. 12 needed from 2.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Two more off a full-toss, 12 off three but the boundary needs to come now.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Drilled back so hard that it ricochets off the bowler and falls 15 yards behind. Two more. 14 off four.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wide and they run a bye. 16 from five needed. Six please?
jamesb
Guest
Johnno "R.I.P test cricket" I don't think so. There is plenty of room for all three formats of the game. What it requires is smart administrators and smart scheduling. If test cricket does DIE as you mentioned, then cricket administrators like James Sutherland would have blood on their hands..........not the players.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
18 needed from five balls, Harris on strike, Wright the bowler.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Would probably need to look at a considerable number of games. Plus it is not only the ground audiences but the TV ratings that will count too...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
No boundaries off that over and the home team needs 20 from the last over. McKay concedes only 7 and ends with 3/22 from four.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
...and a waist-high no-ball off the third. Harris gets out but survives because of the no-ball. The match is still on
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single off the first ball, a dot off the second...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A good over in the end, eight runs off it and that leaves the Brisbane Roar to get 27 from the last two overs. Need at least 15 off this one. 19th overs of many a T20 games have held the keys - more often than the 20th itself.
Johnno
Guest
Tonight is huge for T20 it is the biggest form of the game now . NO turning back now for T20, it has won the cricket civil war in Australia old cricket VS New cricket T20 is the form of the game that has won T TV RATINGS MASSIVE $$$$ The WINNER. R.I.P test cricket
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Dernbach, 1/36 from his three, comes on to bowl. Two from the first ball, two from the second 31 needed from 16.
Andyc
Roar Rookie
Dernbach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once upon a time Warnie would have said can't bowl, can't field!