Danger, Danger down in under in the Big Bash League

The Renegades vs Scorchers caused a bit of a stir in the Sunday evening BBL match due to rain damage. 

An exciting battle of the Renegades against the Scorchers was set to take place at Geelong - which is one of the out grounds for the Renegades. Renegades bowlers enjoyed their short spell on the wicket as they managed to keep the ball seaming throughout the 6.5 overs of play. This raised concerns to the match officials as the Perth batters were having to face unexpected and unpredictable bounce. Cricket Australia have said that it is ‘extremely frustrating’. This certainly will be getting the Big Bash League in the headlines across the world for bad reasons.  

Cover Calamity 

Heavy rain was expected in Geelong which resulted in ground staff needing to cover the pitch with covers. However, the heavy rain seeped through the covers in certain areas of the pitch which caused extreme bounce and seam movement during the first few overs. Officials had deemed the pitch to be safe for play in the initial pitch report and first 3-4 overs of the Scorchers’ innings.  

Voges’ Thoughts 

Perth head coach, Adam Voges, had expressed concerns about the pitch before the first ball. He believed the umpires made the ‘right call’ but he was disappointed for the fans who had made the journey to Geelong. He was ‘thankful’ that none of the batters had been seriously injured, which further backs up the reasoning for the match abandonment. This is the first match abandonment over pitch concerns in Big Bash League history. 

Fuming Fans 

A crowd of over 6000 made the trip to Geelong for an anticipated Sunday evening of Big Bash action. However, their evening was put to a halt after just 6.5 overs. Fans threw their buckets onto the pitch in disappointment. However, safety of the players was the priority. Josh Inglis had been hit in the groin unexpectedly as the ball seamed off the pitch. This was the point of concern for the officials.