CRICKET
By TOM HAYES
MELBOURNE Renegades, along with its new signing of local cricket export, Nicole Faltum, are making quite the impression in the latest Women’s Big Bash League season.
After eight games, the Renegades are second with five wins, coming after a season which saw them finish dead last with just two wins.
FALTUM faced her former side for the second time in a fortnight when the Renegades and Stars locked horns on the biggest stage of them all, the MCG last Friday (November 15).
After winning the toss, the Renegades batted first.
When Faltum got to the crease, the scenes were dire for the Renegades, who were 5/48 in just the eighth over.
She got straight to work alongside Georgia Wareham, both striking at over 100, up until Wareham’s dismissal nearly 10 overs later, saving the innings by adding 67 runs together.
Wareham made 34 (32), while Faltum remained at the crease, now joined by Georgia Prestwidge, the scoreboard reading 6/115.
Stunningly, the Faltum-Prestwidge duo was also unstoppable, the two added another 55 runs to see out the 20-over allotment, ending on 6/170.
Faltum rescued the innings with 66 not out from 42 deliveries – her biggest-ever score in the WBBL.
Faltum once again set the tone in the Stars’ chase, claiming the first wicket behind the pegs, stumping Yastika Bhatia in the second over.
The Renegades were able to hold off the fast finishing Stars, getting home by nine runs.
THIS win backed up a solid month for the Gades, who defeated the Adelaide Strikers and Stars previously.
The match against the Stars (November 9) at Junction Oval saw the Renegades win after posting 6/146.
Faltum made 29 off 23, hitting five fours.
In the chase, Faltum stumped key Stars allrounder Annabel Sutherland for 16, stinting their progress at 5/81.
The visitor’s tail didn’t last very long, with three of the last four wickets falling for less than 10 runs to see them finish 9/131.
JUST days later, the Renegades were on the road to face the reigning champion, the Strikers at Adelaide Oval.
There wasn’t a whole lot of action behind the stumps for Faltum, as the Strikers piled on the runs batting first, closing at 8/185.
The was some work for the Renegades to do, but things just went their way, and they ended up winning in a canter by nine wickets. Faltum was not required with the bat.
AT time of print, after playing eight games, the Renegades sit second on the table behind Sydney Thunder, with five wins and three losses and a net run rate of 0.208.
In the upcoming week, the Renegades will face Hobart Hurricanes tomorrow (Thursday, November 21), and the Thunder on Saturday, November 23 – its last game before finals start.
MORWELL export Peter Siddle was again selected for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield when it hosted Western Australia.
Siddle didn’t fare as well as his last performance for the Vics, but regardless, the Victorians got home comfortably by eight wickets.
WA took to the crease first, lasting just 60 overs before being bowled out for 167. Siddle claimed the wicket of Ashton Agar to collect figures of 1/29 from 13 overs.
In return, Victoria made 373 from 112 overs. Siddle batted toward the end of the innings, making eight off 26 deliveries, hitting one boundary.
Siddle claimed 1/53 in Western Australia’s second innings, as the visitors mustered 325 runs to edge ahead, before Victoria grabbed its bats.
The Victorian top order claimed the winning runs with ease, making 2/122 under 25 overs, thanks to big knocks from Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb (both 56 not out).
Victoria travel to Brisbane to take on Queensland this weekend (starting Sunday, November 24). With the Test series between Australia and India beginning on Friday (November 22), it is yet to be known if Siddle will line up for the Vics.
