Xavier Crone could have had Ashton Turner as his first Big Bash League (BBL) wicket but a bizarre decision by on-field umpire Bruce Oxenford added a twist in the tale. In the 14th over of the contest, Perth Scorchers' skipper Turner tried to pull a short delivery bowled by Crone and it looked like the ball had travelled to wicketkeeper Joe Clarke with a faint nick.
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Umpire Oxenford also seemed convinced as he raised his finger to adjudge the batter out. But as soon as Turner pointed towards his helmet to show that the ball had made a contact with it. The turn of events surprised everyone on the field including the skipper of Melbourne Stars, Glenn Maxwell.
The official Twitter handle of Big Bash League took to Twitter to share the video of the incident, drawing mixed reactions from fans. While some said it should have been a no-ball, few were happy with the decision going in the batter's favour.
Turner survived and went on to add 19 more runs before getting run out on 27. Kurtis Patterson was the top scorer for Scorchers, scoring 54 from 39 deliveries and helping them post 180 on the scoreboard. Colin Munro also turned up as the perfect supporting cast, notching up a 20-ball 40 comprising four maximums.
{{/usCountry}}Turner survived and went on to add 19 more runs before getting run out on 27. Kurtis Patterson was the top scorer for Scorchers, scoring 54 from 39 deliveries and helping them post 180 on the scoreboard. Colin Munro also turned up as the perfect supporting cast, notching up a 20-ball 40 comprising four maximums.
{{/usCountry}}In reply, Stars were bundled out for 130 as Tymal Mills picked up three while Andrew Tye and Peter Hatzoglou added two each under their belt. Openers Joe Clarke and Thomas Rogers added 78 for the opening wicket for Melbourne before the slide slumped to 115 for five in no time, eventually losing all ten wickets for 52 runs.
"Four of our bowlers are in the top 10 wicket-takers so that's good. I played grade cricket in Melbourne, so I knew what these new guys can do. you don't want to lose a match against a bunch of guys who are untested," said Hatzoglou, who bagged the Player of the Match award for his 2 for 27 in four overs.
"There's always pressure in the Big Bash. Different nervousness levels in different stages of the game. But I just chat with the seniors, gives me confidence."
With this win, Perth Scorchers now have six wins from seven matches and sitting at the second spot in the points table. Stars, on the other hand, have just three under their belt and are sixth in the standings.