Dylan Arvela
The Big Bash League is set to light up Moe’s Ted Summerton Reserve on Sunday with the Melbourne Stars taking on the Hobart Hurricanes.
It will be the second time the venue hosts a Twenty20 BBL match after the Stars downed the Adelaide Strikers by 44 runs in January.
Stars’ batsman Ben Dunk was the player of the match on that occasion with 72 not out off 53 balls while Marcus Stoinis also impressed the 6093 onlookers with 53 and 3/20.
It will be the second match the Stars and the Hurricanes play in the 2019/20 BBL season which got underway on Tuesday night with Sydney Thunder beating Brisbane Heat by 29 runs.
The Stars will play the Heat tomorrow night on the Gold Coast after the Hurricanes face the Sydney Sixers in Alice Springs in the afternoon.
BBL legend turned Stars coach David Hussey was in the region on Tuesday morning for the opening of the Gippsland Cricket Centre of Excellence.
The former Australian international said the tension was building heading into his first season as the head coach.
“I’m nervous and a bit apprehensive,” Hussey admitted.
“We had a good practice day yesterday and we can’t wait to start playing on the Gold Coast on Friday then come down here on Sunday.”
Hussey said his players are looking forward to playing at Ted Summerton Reserve and hopes star recruit Dale Steyn will be ready to enteratain the crowd.
“We were really well-received here last year and we can’t wait to get back down here,” he said.
“We played very well last time, we batted particularly well and bowled well.
“The pitch, I have been assured, is going to be exceptional, so hopefully Dale Steyn can bowl some thunderbolts.”
Hussey hopes another bumper crowd fills the ground and offers inspiration to up-and-coming cricketers.
“The boys love coming out to regional areas and showing off elite cricket to country people, hopefully it is no different this year,” Hussey said.
“Hopefully kids, male and female, come out and see the players and see what it takes to play at an elite level.
“We love Motown, so hopefully we come down here for many years to come.”
Hilton Cartwright is expected to feature at number six for the Stars.
The batting all-rounder made an appearance at Duncan Cameron Park for the TDCA clash between Rovers and Gormandale last weekend where he said he was looking forward the start of the season.
“I am getting fitter, I have still got a couple of niggles but I have got this week to fine tune things heading into the first game on the Gold Coast before our first home game at Moe,” Cartwright said.
“(Playing in Moe) is going to be very different (for guys like me) because I have only played a bigger stadiums like Optus Stadium.
“Getting out to a country ground will be more like a festival, (where) everyone comes down, everyone had a great time, so I am really looking forward to it.”
Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes
Where: Ted Summerton Reserve.
When: 2.45pm, Sunday, December 22.
Cost: General admission. Adults $20, Concession $14, Juniors $5, Family $44.
