Chris Jordan’s best-ever BBL figures and Nikhil Chaudhary’s blitz saw the defending champions romp past the Renegades in Geelong
Nikhil Chaudhary and Chris Jordan have had their best BBL games and Ben McDermott also fired in Hobart’s seven-wicket mauling of the Melbourne Renegades.
The Hurricanes’ win in Geelong on Sunday night with 37 balls left took the defending champions to the top of the KFC BBL|15 ladder.
It was the perfect response to last week’s loss to the Melbourne Stars at the MCG. Hobart will end their tricky three-game road trip on Boxing Day against Perth.
Chaudhary plundered 78 from 39 balls, featuring seven fours and four sixes – one of which went over the GMHBA stadium grandstand in the damp conditions. His highest BBL score earned the No.3 player of the match honours.
Jordan starred with 4-19 from four overs, his best figures from 56 BBL games, while McDermott ended the game with a six and scored 49 from 33.
McDermott’s knock had two fours and four sixes. He and Chaudhary put on 93 for the third wicket and Hobart scored 3-149 to easily overhaul Melbourne’s 9-145.
It was a sobering loss after the Renegades had started the season with a solid win over Brisbane.
After Hobart captain Nathan Ellis won the toss, Jordan opened the match with the first maiden over of this BBL season and his first nine deliveries were dot balls.
Josh Brown fell to Riley Meredith for an eight-ball duck and the Renegades were in all sorts of strife at 1-2 after two overs.
Following his century against the Brisbane Heat, fellow opener Tim Seifert combined with Muhammad Rizwan for a 62-run stand that steadied the home team.
Jordan returned to the attack in the seventh over with immediate effect, bowling Seifert for a top score of 34 from 21 balls.
Rehan Ahmed bowled Rizwan for 32 from 26 in the next over and Melbourne were on the back foot for the rest of their innings.
Melbourne made the ideal start when Jason Behrendorff had big-hitting opener Mitch Owen caught behind with the first ball of the Hurricanes’ innings.
Captain Will Sutherland also took an outstanding running catch, dismissing fellow opener Tim Ward for eight and giving Behrendorff his second wicket.
That left the Hurricanes 2-38 in the fourth over.
But Chaudhhary had followed Owen’s dismissal with three-straight boundaries and that set the scene for his half-century.
KFC BBL|15 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
HUR
3
2
1
0
0
0.45
0
4
2
STA
1
1
0
0
0
2.037
0
2
3
SIX
3
1
2
0
0
0.569
0
2
4
SCO
2
1
1
0
0
0.365
0
2
5
STR
1
1
0
0
0
0.326
0
2
6
HEA
2
1
1
0
0
-0.277
0
2
7
REN
2
1
1
0
0
-1.331
0
2
8
THU
2
0
2
0
0
-1.24
0
0
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
