The Snapshot: After coming off the wrong side of the bat flip and being sent into bat by the Stars, it was initially hard work in the middle for the Renegades. Despite showing promise with early boundaries, Marcus Harris (12), Sam Harper (6) and Cameron White (12) were all dismissed cheaply. When captain Aaron Finch departed for 13 in the unluckiest of circumstances – run out thanks to the ball ricocheting onto the stumps off the foot of the bowler – and then the Renegades’ slumped to 5-65 in the 11th over when Mackenzie Harvey lost his wicket for 14, the Renegades look in dire straits.
It was up to Tom Cooper and Dan Christian to salvage the innings for the Renegades, and that they did, amassing an unbeaten partnership of 80 runs off 58 balls to see the Renegades finish their 20 overs with a respectable yet reachable total of 5-145.
As Stars’ openers Ben Dunk and Marcus Stoinis strode to the crease to kick off the second innings, most people expected Stoinis to be the problem man for the Renegades, as he had been throughout the regular season. However without his nemesis Mohammad Nabi present, it was Dunk who had a field day, notching up 57 runs off just 45 deliveries.
Things looked ominous for the Renegades when the Stars still hadn’t lost a wicket in the 13th over; enter Cameron Boyce. First, he bowled danger-man Stoinis for 39, and shortly after dismissed Dunk thanks to a catch from Christian. This sparked an incredible batting collapse for the Stars, where they lost 7 wickets for just 19 runs in the space of five overs.
With one of the biggest momentum shifts witnessed in the competition this year, the Stars could only manage 7-132 off their 20 overs, handing the Renegades a 13-run win and their first ever BBL title to boot.
The Key Moment: When Chris Tremain captured the crucial wicket of Stars’ captain Glen Maxwell for just a single run, the roof basically lifted off Marvel Stadium (save for the fact that it was already open!) The Stars are known for their batting depth but when Mackenzie Harvey held onto the catch in the deep – a similar position to where he dropped a catch against the Sydney Sixers in the Semi Final – the Renegades’ fans sensed they were about to witness something special.
The Key Player: Not satisfied with his match-winning heroics of the Renegades’ Semi Final against the Sixers, Christian backed up his performance with another Player of the Match-winning performance against the Stars. Showing just why he is a professional T20 tournament winner the world over, Christian combined with Cooper with the bat to score an unbeaten 38 runs off 30 balls in an innings-saving 80-run partnership, and then chimed in to take two wickets with the ball, partnering with Harry Gurney for some impressive death bowling.
Up Next: We savour victory! We’re not going to forget the ‘miracle at Marvel’ anytime soon. We think winning through to host our first ever BBL Grand Final appearance is pretty special in itself, let alone winning it in a come-from-behind fashion against the Stars!
Thanks to all our members and fans for their support throughout the years and especially this season – we’re glad we could deliver a history-making victory for everyone involved in our club! We’re going to celebrate and have a well-earned rest, and then get ready to do it all again in BBL|09.
