Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales hit half-centuries as the Sydney Thunder maintained their unbeaten start to the BBL season.
Shaun Marsh top-scored for his new team but couldn’t prevent the Melbourne Renegades suffering a narrow defeat to the Thunder in the opening match of their Big Bash League title defence.
The champions’ boom recruit, who defected from his hometown Perth Scorchers this year, peeled off 42 from 33 balls to steer the Renegades through their middle overs at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium.
Marsh and in-form opener Sam Harper (39) helped set the Thunder a target of 170.
But patient half-centuries from openers Usman Khawaja (66) and Alex Hales (68) laid a solid platform for the run chase before Alex Ross got the visitors over the line with the winning boundary in a frenetic final over.
(Photo by Chris Hyde – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
The Thunder reached 4-171 to win by six wickets with just two balls to spare and maintain their unbeaten record, having downed the Brisbane Heat in the season opener 48 hours earlier.
Khawaja slipped at one point while turning for a second run and looked to have hurt the same knee he’d previously had surgery on. But he batted on and allayed injury fears post-match.
“It hurts a little bit now, but it’s just that first five seconds when you think is everything alright,” Khawaja said.
“I knew straight away it was alright, it was just pain. I’ve done my knee before, so I know the feeling.”
The knock was a timely reminder of Khawaja’s white-ball capabilities after he was this week left out of Australia’s ODI squad for the tour of India in January.
Marsh, too, was left out of the ODI squad, with Australia T20 and Renegades captain Aaron Finch later declaring the West Australian the world’s most underrated T20 batsman.
Marsh began his new life in red in typically steady fashion before opening the shoulders in the second over after the Renegades called their strategy time-out.
It eventually took a brilliant diving catch from Thunder all-rounder Daniel Sams on the boundary to dismiss Marsh, who batted at No.3.
“It was nice to spend a bit of time out there,” Marsh said.
“I thought I left a few out there at the end, but it was nice to get my first game with the Renegades.
“We’re obviously disappointed with the loss, but it was good fun out there.”
Diminutive wicketkeeper Harper picked up where he left off with the bat after scoring a blistering century in a warm-up match against Melbourne Stars three days earlier.
He sent left-arm seamer Sams to the fine-leg boundary with a ramp shot off the second ball he faced and put the next one back over the bowler’s head.
Harper (39) managed four fours and a pair of sixes in 19 balls before Sams eventually got his revenge, with a leading edge proving the batsman’s downfall.
Sams had a hand in three key wickets, removing Harper and Dan Christian either side of his excellent catch in the deep to get rid of Marsh.
He finished with 2-26 from three overs, with off-spinner Arjun Nair (2-32, four overs) also claiming multiple wickets by dismissing Finch and Marsh.
anon
Roar Pro
If Smith is so good he can bat anywhere in the order.
Tom
Smith should do the team thing by moving out of number 3 where he averages 50 so Khawaja can bat at 3 where Khawaja averages 30? Lol righto
Lawrence
Roar Rookie
The England one day side needs to be the blueprint, all your batsman need to be able to score at a run a ball or more like Roy, Morgan, Bairstow etc and with one batsman like Root to guide the innings. Hard call on Khawaja but has never quite nailed down a position and he should have with his talent. England moved on from the likes of Bell and it is time Aust do similar.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
I have no qualms about Khawaja being left out of the ODI side. (I expect criticism). In the world cup he had two good innings, and in the other 7 innings hardly scored a run averaging 18. Yes he would have played in the semi final but for injury, but is it time to move on. In test cricket he had a great match against Pakistan, scoring 85 & 141. Since then has played 18 innings in test cricket for a 101 v Sri Lanka and 72 against India. In his other 16 innings has a highest score of 40. Also he has not played a T20I since 2016, which is surprising seeing his BBL form. But as I said are the selectors looking to the future with Labs & Turner etc. The WC ODI qualifying series starts in 2020 and goes till 2022, with the finals being in 2023. By that time Khawaja, Finch and Warner will all be 37. Even Smith will be 34. The selectors should be looking at younger players (like Phillipe) who will be the future of cricket.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
And warner hasnt done badly opening since his return (in white ball) and finch is captain and picks his spot.... anything other than opening in white ball doesnt seem to suit khawaja as well. Its a shame, i rate him .
anon
Roar Pro
You need to be a little flexible. Khawaja has been in sensational form in 2019. Get Smith and Labuschagne to do the team thing and move down the order. Surely everyone can be a little flexible to get our best ODI player of 2019 into the side. They moved heaven and Earth to find a spot for Bancroft, Mitch Marsh, etc. With Khawaja they just toss him on the scrapheap for the flimsiest of excuses.
TJ
Guest
Love Labuschange and the player he is becoming but I can't understand how he gets a start over Khawaja. His 2019 numbers are fantastic and his Marsh cup form just adds to that. He scored more runs and hundreds in the same amount of games as Marnus. Not sure what it is but Khawaja has never been one of the selectors favourites.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Labuschagne was favoured instead of Khawaja, not Turner.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Brisbane Heat in my opinion would benefit with Khawaja complementing their team of sloggers however they seem to have their favourites. If Lynn fails their substandard bowling attack don't have sufficient runs to defend.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Khawaja will make the selectors look silly come end of this Big Bash..... Still won't do him any good. They continue to pick guys who are clearly not as good as him and as consistent as him in white ball Cricket.
Tom
No it isn't, Khawaja is an opening batsmen in ODI's and when Finch and Warner are available he doesn't fit in the team. It's that simple, there is no victimisation.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
"He’s a very ordinary fieldsman with no athleticism and a woeful runner between the wickets. In my opinion that’s what’s cost him" Quite possibly. But then that would make a mockery of Langer's words, wouldn't it...
Paul
Roar Guru
"patient half-centuries from openers Usman Khawaja (66) and Alex Hales (68) ". Really? Khawaja was going at a strike rate better than 140 and Hales at nearly 179. At least the author didn't call these innings "sedate".
AREH
Roar Guru
The T20 WC should be a priority for him now. Not sure how he squeezes in presuming he'd need to open, but has been a white ball - and particularly T20 - weapon for some time, and was arguably Australia's best performed bat in the 2016 tournament.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Ashton Turner did not come in for Khawaja. Khawaja bats in the top 3 and sets the platform for the innings. Turner is in the team as a finisher towards the back end of the innings. Khawaja is stuff but a one trick pony. He’s a very ordinary fieldsman with no athleticism and a woeful runner between the wickets. In my opinion that’s what’s cost him
anon
Roar Pro
The best ODI player in 2019 made the selectors look silly. When Langer became coach he said the only currency were runs (and being a good bloke whatever that means): "Whether you're making them in T20 cricket or one-day cricket or Sheffield Shield cricket or Test cricket, the only currency of value are runs. So there's a balancing act there and we certainly have to manage our batsmen. And the message has been since day one that you've got to be a good bloke and you've got to score runs." Khawaja strikes me as a decent bloke. He's been one of the highest scoring ODI players in the world in ODI (6th) averaging around 50. Only Australian ahead is Finch by 2 runs who played one extra match. That's an incredible achievement. And what do we do? We drop one of the best performing ODI players in world cricket in 2019 and replace him with Ashton Turner. Khawaja averages 42 over his career in ODIs, 48 in List A cricket, averaged 50 in 2019 in ODIs. What's the problem with him exactly? Am I missing something? I'd feel aggrieved if I was Khawaja. This is victimisation plain and simple.