BBL 2019-20 | Stars vs Sixers - Ask Me Anything ft. Sandeep Lamichhane’s absence and Maxwell’s failure
Sydney Sixers booked their berth in the BBL 09 final with an easy 43-run win over Melbourne Stars, who seemed to have lost their way after a seemingly invincible start to the season. So many things happened today and in this edition of ‘Ask Me Anything’, I have charted out the details.
What’s up with Bat Flip today?
We all know chasing has been the easiest of propositions on a flat deck like Melbourne Cricket Ground and hence how could you expect anything other than that from the Big Show. He won the bat flip and invited the star-studded Sydney Sixers to bat first.
Why couldn't I see Sandeep Lamichhane's name in the teamsheet today? Why was he dropped?
He wasn’t dropped but decided to prioritise the country over the franchise. He had already informed the Stars management last week and headed home to Nepal for the tri-nations ODI series with Oman and the USA - the tournament that will act as the qualification pathway for the 2023 50-over World Cup. It was a big blow for Melbourne Stars but can’t fault him for that, can you?
Oh. Noooooo. I am worried. Tell me fast - Was Haris Rauf back to save us?
Yes, of course. After making his Pakistan debut, Australia’s new-found “prodigal son” first dismissed a settled Josh Philippe before bouncing Steve Smith to the floor. It was evident that the Sydney-based side were trying to play him out.
Bounced Steve Smith to the floor? What happened really?
Hahaha. Chill. Smith only lost his balance while facing a Rauf short ball and the movement resulted in the Sydney Sixer batsman falling in the direction of the stumps and was close to having direct contact with the woodwork. As the light flashed, Melbourne Stars started celebrating, thinking it was a hit-wicket. They were not wrong too because for us, watching it on TV, it also seemed like the furniture had been disturbed owing to Smith falling over it. But as the replays confirmed, it was indeed the Melbourne wind that disturbed the dynamics, with Smith being inches away from the stumps.
If Rauf picked only one wicket, then who was the star for them today? Was it Daniel Worrall or NCN?
Nathan Coulter-Nile surely had his time under the sun with parsimonious bowling but hey, it was actually Zampa’s day to dominate. The leggie mixed up his variations beautifully and the Sixers had no idea how to tackle him. He accounted for James Vince and Steve Smith - two big fishes in the Sixers line-up - and then Sean Abbott to cap off a spell of 3-21 in the stipulated four overs.
Fair enough, but they must have taken the power play by storm no? Vince and Philippe are pretty good batsmen to do that.
Nope. Relax. No jinx works after the game, buddy. Coming to your question, they didn’t really score a lot in the first six overs. With Worrall and Maxwell bowling, the runs were cramped up and the Sixers could only manage to score 46 runs in the process. Not a huge score, especially considering Vince and Philippe’s high standards.
Tell me more. What did Melbourne Stars do in their powerplay overs?
The wicket had been slowed down and run-scoring became a hugely difficult task for the Stars batsmen too. Coming back from three straight losses in the league stage, the top-order struggled big-time as Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, and Peter Handscomb were dismissed within the batting powerplay before they were reduced to 66/7. It was a far cry from the times of the team decimating oppositions at will in the first half of the tournament.
Even Maxwell failed? This can’t be happening again.
I am afraid to break your heart but Maxwell’s slump in form is real. Ever since his unbeaten 83 in the Derby game at the Docklands, the Victorian has been able to muster a total of just 78 runs in seven games at an average of 15.6. Today, he had no answer for Steve O'Keefe’s turn, ending up with 16 runs off 19 balls.
Don’t tell me it was O’Keefe who went through the Stars batting order like he did against India in that Pune Test?
Oh. No. It was actually a collective effort from the Sixers bowling unit. Josh Hazlewood was unplayable, Sean Abbott was devastating with his swing and pace while O’ Keefe also got his share of two wickets.
Okay, One final question - How will this result affect the final race?
With the win, the Sixers have now qualified for the final while the Stars will have to take on the winner of Saturday's knockout game between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder in the 'Challenger'. The winner of the challenger will take on Sydney Sixers in the final on February 8.
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