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Finch and spinners brush Thunder aside
- Updated: December 22, 2016
Melbourne Renegades 7 for 179 (Finch 63, Ferguson 38) beat Sydney Thunder 131 (Gibson 39, Cummins 37) by 49 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details
After losing all their home games last season, Melbourne Renegades began the 2016-17 Big Bash League with a clinical victory at Docklands stadium, defending 179 with ease to leave Sydney Thunder’s title defence in deep trouble after two heavy losses in three nights.
Finch formidable, and Hogg’s tongue wags again
The Renegades’ foundation was laid by captain Aaron Finch, who clubbed 63 off 37 balls at the top of the order. His knock was defined by clean hitting, on a ground where he averages 56 in T20s, and it proved to be the leading contribution on the night, highlighting the size of the hole he will leave in the side when national duty calls in January.
No shot was better than Finch’s lofted strike off Clint McKay, described by Ricky Ponting as “absolutely magnificent” on commentary. Later, he muscled Fawad Ahmed for consecutive sixes over extra cover. He holed out off the next ball, but his job was done.
For pure enjoyment, there was no better moment than Brad Hogg’s double-wicket over that extinguished any realistic chance of a Thunder comeback. The ever-smiling left-arm wristspinner was playing in his first game for the Renegades after crossing over from Perth Scorchers. Across four tidy overs, he showed that at …
