Hurricanes go high in BBL, finish Renegades’ finals hopes | USAEMALL.com

Big hitting from Hobart Hurricanes mainstays Matthew Wade and Tim David has proved the difference in a crucial BBL win over the Melbourne Renegades.

But the four-wicket home win with two balls left on Tuesday night has come at a potentially high cost, with opening bowler Billy Stanlake injuring his shoulder only six days out from the finals.

The win puts Hobart on top of the ladder with two games left and kills off the Renegades’ slim finals hopes. This will be the Hurricanes’ first finals appearance in three seasons.

Melbourne fought hard after another top-order collapse, but 7-154 was not enough.

After limping to 4-66 at 10 overs, Hobart steadied through Nikhil Chaudhary’s 36.

Then Wade belted 36 from 23 balls with five fours and one six, but his dismissal in the 17th over meant another plot twist, Hobart needing eight off the last over.

Tom Rogers was desperately unlucky not to trap David leg before with the third ball of the over – the video review showed it pitched just outside off stump.

Rogers tried a yorker with the next ball and David hoiked the full toss over mid-wicket for a massive six that tied the scores.

David’s single then won the game and he hit an unbeaten 24 from 15 balls, including two fours and a six, in Hobart’s 6-155.

English Test player Jacob Bethell took two wickets with his left-arm spin after anchoring Melbourne with 87 – their highest score this season.

The Hurricanes won the toss and paid a high price for the first Renegades wicket, when Stanlake took a great diving catch off Riley Meredith in the deep to dismiss Josh Brown.

Stanlake immediately held his right shoulder and briefly left the field.

He twice tried to start the next over, but pulled up in his delivery stride and went off the ground again for the rest of the innings.

The Renegades’ top order failed again and were in dire straits, at 3-23 and then 4-69.

Then Bethell combined with Tim Seifert (24) and Sutherland (15) to put the pressure back on the hosts.

Bethell was run out in the last over after facing 50 balls, with eight fours and four sixes. Riley Meredith was the pick of the Hobart attack, taking 3-36 from four overs.

Hobart brought in Caleb Jewell and Jake Doran for Ben McDermott (hamstring) and Chris Jordan (back), while Melbourne’s left-arm wrist spinner Callum Stow took a wicket on debut after he replaced Kane Richardson (soreness).