Chris Green and Nic Maddinson forged the game-winning partnership as the Sydney Thunder stunned the Melbourne Renegades at ENGIE Stadium
A late Chris Green skirmish has powered BBL battlers the Sydney Thunder to a thrilling four-wicket upset defeat of the Melbourne Renegades, whose finals hopes are hanging by a thread.
No.8 Green came in with the Thunder precariously placed at 6-95, having lost 3-15 in eight balls as they pursued a DLS-adjusted target of 140 at Engie Stadium.
With all the pressure on his shoulders, Green bludgeoned three sixes in as many balls from Gurinder Sandhu (4-42), the Renegades’ best bowler to that point.
It swung Monday’s game dramatically back in favour of the Thunder, who would have been consigned to the wooden spoon with a loss to the Renegades.Nic Maddinson contributed a vital 30 not out in a 45-run stand with Green that saw the Thunder home.
Instead, Green (34no off 13 balls) and Nic Maddinson (30no off 17 balls) piloted his side home for just their second win of the season in an unbeaten 45-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Maddinson, who spent the off-season battling testicular cancer which spread to other parts of his body, hit the winning run to backward square leg, with the Thunder (6-140) reaching the DLS-adjusted target with four balls remaining.
The Renegades had finished their 20 overs at 8-170, left to rue a collapse of 3-7 that had restricted them either side of the drinks break.
Hassan Khan (46) played back to bowler Daniel Sams, who got a finger onto the ball before it slammed into the stumps with Sutherland (1) out of his crease.
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To play finals from here, the seventh-placed Renegades must win their final two games, one of those against second-placed Perth, and hope a slew of other results fall their way.
Even if those results transpire, the Renegades will need to beat the second-placed Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers and hope they can leapfrog the Heat on net run-rate.
The Thunder play the Sydney Sixers this Friday for their last game of the season and must win that match to have any hope of avoiding a sixth wooden spoon in 15 BBL seasons.
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
9
6
2
0
1
0.398
0
13
2
SCO
8
5
3
0
0
1.162
0
10
3
STA
8
5
3
0
0
0.909
0
10
4
SIX
8
4
3
0
1
0.458
0
9
5
HEA
8
4
4
0
0
-0.446
0
8
6
STR
8
3
5
0
0
-0.42
0
6
7
REN
8
3
5
0
0
-0.686
0
6
8
THU
9
2
7
0
0
-1.182
0
4
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
