This season’s Big Bash League started off with not just a bang, but a shedload of fines. Four sides were docked for slow over rates within the first few days of the tournament.
The Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars were both slugged with $1000 fines per member of the respective playing XIs, with captains Moises Henriques (Sixers) and John Hastings (Stars) receiving one strike each. A second strike means either skipper has to sit a game out.
The Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades’ women’s sides were also docked $250 per player in each XI, and with captains Suzie Bates (Strikers) and Amy Satterthwaite (Renegades) receiving one strike each. The same suspension looms for another ‘strike’.
50 per cent discounts were on offer for either of the four teams to accept their penalty without appeal, but in all, the total fines imposed amounted to $27,500.
But this is the curious bit. At the BBL level at least, Australia has moved away from one of the key playing conditions of the Twenty20 game – that being that the bowling side had to have at least started its 20th over within 85 minutes of the first ball of the match. It was definitely in play when the format was introduced around the club scene in the early 2000s, and I’m pretty sure a local variation I played under said that you had to have completed 20 overs within 85 minutes.
It was all to do with the whole game being over in three hours, thus forming one of the major appealing elements of the shorter format. The penalty for a slow over rate? Six runs per over not bowled within 85 minutes, a penalty imposed (if the umpires felt there were no mitigating circumstances) during the game.
It’s curious because here is a playing condition from the T20 Blast competition played in England, under the section sub-heading ‘16.6 Over-Rate Penalties’.
All sides are expected to be in position to bowl the first ball of the last of their 20 overs within one hr 15 minutes playing time. In the event of them failing to do so, the full quota of overs will be completed, and the batting side will be credited with six runs for every whole over that has not been bowled. This will apply to both innings of the match. If the side batting second is credited with runs in this way and this consequently takes their score to or past their victory target then the match shall be deemed to be won by the side batting second.
Surrey very nearly lost a game to Somerset only back in July this year, after being docked 12 runs for being behind the over rate. When imposed at the end of the 18th over, it meant that Somerset went from needing 35 from 12 balls, to just 23 from 12 balls. And they fell short anyway, but the benefit of the run penalty certainly made Somerset’s equation easier.
Back in Australia, it wasn’t entirely surprising to hear the player’s association going into bat for their members.
“I do think the players have fully embraced what the BBL is all about, about engaging fans (i.e. entertainment), and so whacking them with a fine in the first round this year was how it played out, and hopefully we can mitigate that going forward,” ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson told ABC Grandstand on Thursday.
And if I’m honest, it’s a fair point he makes about the entertainment element. Network Ten almost certainly wouldn’t care if their million-rating broadcast goes ten or fifteen minutes longer.
(AAP Image/David Crosling)
So, on one hand, Cricket Australia is saying over rates matter, by imposing the fines. But on the other hand, fines have a long history of doing absolutely bloody nothing to solve slow over rates.
So why wouldn’t run penalties just add to the drama, and by flow-on, the entertainment factor? Even if you made the allowance 90 minutes, or 95 minutes? Can’t you imagine the tension of a run chase when 17 off six balls suddenly becomes 11 off six?
Yes, run penalties for over rates is a hobby horse of mine, and has been for years. The fact that Australia has gone away from one of the very playing conditions that made the shorter format so popular only adds to my curiosity.
After Perth beat the Melbourne Renegades by three wickets on Friday night under the roof in Melbourne, the Big Bash League table looks this way.
PERTH 6, ADELAIDE 4, MELBOURNE RENEGADES 4, BRISBANE 4; Sydney Thunder 2; Sydney Sixers 0, Melbourne Stars 0, Hobart 0.
SATURDAY – GAME 11: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder, Launceston: The BBL makes its first venture to a new venue – the first of four this summer – with Yorke Park (or whatever its corporate name is now) in Launceston on debut. Hobart curiously haven’t played a game for nine days, while the Thunder have played twice in that time. This is actually really hard to pick – it’s even hard to make a guess about. The Thunder have been very up and down, while the Hurricanes are still a bit unknown
TIP – Hurricanes will be keen to endear themselves to the northern part of the state, and I reckon their bowling is the difference between the two sides.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
SUNDAY – GAME 12: Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval: The annual New Year’s Eve bash sees two teams coming together in very different form. The Strikers are the early surprise packets, having dominated the Sixers this week just gone, and rolling the Thunder for not many back on December 22.
The Heat made 200 against the Stars, battled against the Renegades in the last game before Christmas, and then bowled well to keep the Thunder to 149 in the rain shortened game before chasing it four down. But they’ve been far from convincing.
TIP – Strikers. At home, on their biggest night of the competition; they’re in better form and should be too good.
MONDAY – GAME 13: Sydney Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Showground: Well this is a bit wacky, isn’t it? Having just met less than 48 hours earlier, the Thunder and Hurricanes now move to Sydney for the return leg. It makes meaningful previews incredibly difficult.
I was really impressed with the way (insert Saturday’s winner here) got the job done in Launceston, but no doubt (loser) will be keen to square the ledger.
TIP – Thunder at home. Because of what happened in Launceston.
MONDAY – GAME 14: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, the WACA: Another return bout, with these two teams having played in the first double-header of the summer on December 23.
Since then, the Scorchers have only confirmed their favouritism to add another title to their already healthy collection, while the Sixers are finding new ways to underwhelm. I can’t see how either scenario changes in this game.
TIP – Scorchers. And pretty comfortably, I suspect.
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