A Mature Chase Propels the Hurricanes to Victory over the Melbourne Renegades, the Hobart Hurricanes have recorded an entertaining victory with a fine chasing performance, knocking off the target of 163 with one over to spare. Nathan Ellis was the star performer for the team with the bat, taking Player of the Match for his performance of 3/30.
Renegades Build, Then Stumble Late
Being asked to bat first, the Melbourne Renegades got off to a cracking start in the first power play, which resulted in the addition of 47 runs with the loss of only one wicket in the first four overs. The team continued with the same effect and reached 50 in 4.1 overs with merely two extras against the Hurricanes bowlers.
The innings reached an early turning point in the eighth over when Hobart successfully reviewed a decision to remove Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was struck down after a challenge upheld by umpire C Grant. That did little to impede the Renegades, however, as they continued to score freely on their way to bringing up 100 in 9.6 overs, and then took the drinks break at 101/4 with OJ Peake and Hassan Khan at the crease.
Yet, the middle overs went all the way in favour of Hobart. In the second powerplay, the Renegades crawled to 15 runs between overs 15.1 and 17.0, losing two wickets in that period as they failed to keep up the momentum. They brought up their 150 in the last over, but wickets kept falling as Hurricanes' bowlers turned the screws.
The slow over-rate penalties in the death overs forced extra fielders inside the circle, but Melbourne could not capitalize on it completely. They closed their innings at 162/9, with GS Sandhu not out on 16. Nathan Ellis was the key leader of the bowling pack, getting the crucial breakthroughs at the right time.
"Hurricanes begin slow but end strong."
As a response, the Hobart Hurricanes began conservatively, giving more emphasis to getting wickets than scoring quickly. The first power play went for 29 runs without any loss of wickets. The fifty was reached in 7.2 overs, where extras contributed five runs to the partnership.
Melbourne staged a recovery in the middle overs, restricting Hobart to 67/3 at the drinks break, with BJ Webster holding the innings together. The second powerplay saw some rhythm being built, with 26 runs being added, although another wicket fell.
The next major incident came in the 13th over when Hobart reviewed a dismissal for N Chaudhary, but the on-field decision remained the same, leaving them four down. However, the pursuit did not get derailed as they got to 100 in 13.2 overs.
The turning point arrived during the death overs. A successful Renegades review resulted in the dismissal of Matthew Wade in the 18th over, offering a glimmer of hope for a possible twist in the tale, but the Hurricanes' lower order stuck to the task, scoring 150/8 in 18.1 overs and effectively seeing the chase through.
Hobart finished at 163-6 in 19 overs, securing a hard-fought win by four wickets.
Player of the Match
Nathan Ellis (Hobart Hurricanes) Ellis' spell of 3/30 played a significant role in checking the Renegades, particularly in the mid and death overs, and thus earned him the Player of the Match award.