The final round of the 2014/15 Big Bash League continues on Monday night with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the Adelaide Strikers at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) for live scores and a blog of the game.
For the Adelaide Strikers, this game is merely a chance to wrap up the minor premiership in what has been a dominating season for them, with five wins, one loss and one non-result coming against the Thunder in a rain affected game at Adelaide Oval.
The Strikers currently sit on 11 points on the ladder, one ahead of the Perth Scorchers who play the Melbourne Stars tomorrow night in their final regular season game meaning that if the Strikers were to get the victory tonight they will go an unassailable three points ahead at the top of the table and wrap up the minor premiership.
For the Melbourne Renegades, this game against the Strikers carries serious weight to their aspirations of making the semi finals which start on Saturday night.
The Renegades currently sit in fifth position on six competition points with three wins and four losses. A win against the Strikers would move them to eight points and into equal fourth position. However that team in fourth is the Sydney Sixers who still have a game to play against the Sydney Thunder on Thursday Night.
The Sixers net run rate is also higher than the Renegades with the Sixers at -0.023 and the Renegades at -0.224. This essentially means that the Renegades need a big win tonight and then rely on the Thunder beating the Sixers by a substantial amount for them to make the semi finals.
In team changes for the two sides from their previous games, the Renegades have gone with an unchanged line up, whilst the Strikers have had to ring a few changes.
Jono Dean has been dropped and replaced by the young batsman Kelvin Smith, and as he is the only batsman added to the squad he looks likely to make his Big Bash debut.
Shaun Tait has been rested from the Strikers squad due to Hamstring tendinitis. Two players have come into the squad to be a chance to replace him. They are Jon Holland, who could be a big chance of being the Strikers third spinner on what is usually a very spin friendly pitch at Etihad Stadium.
The other player is bowling all rounder Trent Lawford who has replaced Tait in the other two games that he has missed this season.
Expect this game to be a low scoring one (by T20 standards that is) on a pitch that has suited the bowlers right throughout the tournament.
Particularly if the Strikers name three spinners it could make life very hard for the Renegades.
The Renegades though don’t really have a point of just winning the game by a small margin in a low scorer as that doesn’t help their push to the finals. They need to come out swinging, win the game and win it big to improve their net run rate.
The last time the Renegades met the Strikers was back in the 2013/2014 version of the Big Bash League and once again at the back end of the season at the Adelaide Oval.
The Renegades batted first and posted a compeititve total of 6/155 off their 20 overs, before the Strikers fell just two runs short off their 20 overs in a thriller of a contest.
Prediction: Expect the Renegades to come out swinging, but the high rolling Strikers to win in a close one.
Remember to join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) for our live coverage of the game.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Just one more post before I sign off this evening... George Bailey has been suspended from the next One Day game that Australia play in due to slow over rates. Steve Smith is tipped to replace Bailey as captain but nothing has been confirmed yet. Righto that's it from me. Goodnight.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening and I hope you enjoyed the game and my coverage here on the Roar of this live blog of the Big Bash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Adelaide Strikers. For all things sport keep it tuned to the Roar in what happens to be a very busy period on our sporting calendar. I'll be back tomorrow with the opening stage of the first World Tour Cycling race of the year at the Tour Down Under. Meanwhile The Australian Open started today and the Big Bash Season along with the Asian Cup is reaching the pointy end. For detailed analysis and live blogs of these events plus more keep checking back in here at the roar. Goodnight!
Scott Pryde
Expert
The Melbourne Renegades have ended their season in disappointing fashion tonight.
Scott Pryde
Expert
With this win the Adelaide Strikers have wrapped up the minor premiership of BBL|04
Scott Pryde
Expert
Travis Head has been named man of the match for his brilliant recovery effort innings of 71 from just 34 balls.
Scott Pryde
Expert
For the Renegades they struggled right throughout their innings to get any real partnerships going. Alex Doolan looked good early, and Matthew Wade struggled right throughout his long and painful innings. Ben Stokes and Wade was looking like the partnership that might set it up for the Renegades and despite a short and brutal resistance from Stokes he soon departed for 33 as did Wade leaving the Renegades middle and lower order far too much to do. For the strikers Gary Putland was excellent with 1/16 from his 4 and then all the spinners bowled exceptionaly well to restrict the Renegades and help set up the win.
Scott Pryde
Expert
So the Strikers in the end far too strong for the Renegades tonight. They looked very shaky after winning the toss and electing to bat, but being 3/27 at the end of the powerplay. In the end they managed to recover very well on the back of Travis Head and debutant Kelvin Smith which was followed up by some power hitting from Johan Botha at the end of the innings. For the Renegades James Pattinson was the stand out, bowling 4 overs early on in the inning and ending with 1/12, whilst Nathan Rimmington bowled well but was far too expensive for his 2 wickets. I also thought Fawad Ahmed bowled quite well.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Match Summary: Adelaide Strikers 5/166 - 20 overs (Travis Head 71[34], Kelvin Smith 41[34], Johan Botha 32[19], Nathan Rimmington 2/40[3.0]) defeated the Melbourne Renegades 7/144 - 20 overs (Ben Stokes 33[19], Tom Beaton 23[11], Shakib Al Hasan 22[16], Ben Laughlin 2/24[3.0], Adam Zampa 2/31[4.0]) by 22 runs.
Scott Pryde
Expert
So that's it from Etihad Stadium! The Strikers beat the Renegades by 22 runs
Scott Pryde
Expert
And Rimmington gets a single down the ground on the last ball. Renegades 7/144 (20)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Beaton gets a 2 then tries a lap sweep but misses to the keeper. Then Beaton gets a single to mid off. Last ball coming up. Renegades 7/143 (19.5)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wide Yorker from Laughlin and Beaton backs away so its a dot. Renegades cant win it now with 27 from 4 to win.
Scott Pryde
Expert
WICKET - Pattinson hits it a million miles in the air off a slower ball and gets caught at deep mid wicket. Renegades 7/140 (19.1) New batsman is Nathan Rimmington.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Tom Beaton is now 20 (7) but Pattinson is on strike for the last over. Laughlin to bowl it.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Good bouncer from Richardson and then Beaton gets a 2 down the ground which is followed by another 2 down the ground. Renegades 6/140 (19) - Require 27 runs off the last over!
Scott Pryde
Expert
SIX - Beaton goes on to one knee and slogs Richardson out over the leg side and it gets dropped over the boundary! Renegades 6/136 (16.3)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Kane Richardson now back with his 3rd over and his first ball is outside off which Pattinson swings and misses at.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Beaton now gets a ramp like shot over the keepers head and gets 3 for it which is followed by another top edge that goes straight back to the bowler, and he misses the stumps by a whisker in an attempt to run out Beaton who was backing up. Renegades 6/129 (18)
Scott Pryde
Expert
New batsman is James Pattinson and he gets a massive top edge but Ben Laughlin puts down a sitter! 1 run for it. Renegades 6/125 (17.4)
Scott Pryde
Expert
WICKET - Ben Rohrer tries to hook but it's uppish and a very good diving catch taken by Craig Simmons at short fine leg... Must be the final nail in the coffin for the Renegades. Renegades 6/124 (17.3)