Some cricketers were ready made for T20 cricket long before it became popularised around the world. Players whose batting was probably not quite enough to make it as a Test number 6, and whose bowling wasn’t quite penetrative enough to be a Test bowler. But work hard on those aspects and add in superb fielding as well and in the modern age you can become a T20 mercenary and a successful one at that. Step forward Dan Christian, who took centre stage tonight to almost single-handedly rip the game away from the Adelaide Strikers and hand the Melbourne Renegades a terrific victory.
Nothing is really ever done by one person (although Sophie Devine could arguably have done so herself in the opening match for the Strikers in their WBBL clash when she scored 95 and then took 5 wickets!) and sometimes it is the one who finished the game who receives the plaudits. Christian had taken three wickets in the Renegades first match but was restricted to just one over tonight due to being in hospital on a drip for food poisoning 12 hours beforehand. Despite this he spent his time running around the boundary rope on the field before playing his concluding innings.
The Strikers had set up an imposing chase, led in the main by Matt Short (65) and Jono Wells (42) with a great partnership of 104 that helped the Strikers to 5/174, and an tough chase despite the good pitch. Harper and White had taken the Renegades reply to 1/71 off 8 overs before they lost 4/11 in three overs, thanks in the main to Rashid Khan who beat both set batsmen with wrong ‘uns they did not pick to have them plumb LBW. Rashid was superb again, completing his four over spell with 2/13 which was his most economical return in his short BBL career. Given his influence throughout, the Strikers looked favourites from this point.
Instead, the partnership between Christian and Afghanistani Mohammed Nabi blossomed, and in fact began to dominate. From a position that looked a tough ask at the best of times, requiring around 11 runs an over for the extent of their partnership, they seemed to be able to keep pace with it at ease. In their first five overs together they took 7, 15, 11, 12 and 13 runs, keeping up with the required rate. The final over from Rashid conceded only two runs which made the task a bit more difficult, but by this time their partnership was established and it looked as though if they stayed together they would win the game. They needed 33 from three overs.
Nabi batted well, no doubt. He showed a lot of composure and regard for the situation. It is fascinating to see so many Afghanistan cricketers doing well around the world in this form of the game. Unlike almost four years ago at the 2015 World Cup where they were everyone’s favourite underdog team hoping they could find a way to win a game, they will go into next year’s World Cup with plenty of established and experienced campaigners thanks to the world T20 circuit. Yes the 50 over game is a different format, but Afghanistan will be a fascinating team to watch at that tournament in six months time.
The really amazing innings was that of Christian. He struck the ball so cleanly that it was hard to believe at times. Off Stanlake in the penultimate over, he played an incredible strike over mid wicket for six that flew over the short boundary. He followed that with an even more incredible shot, sitting on the back foot and playing what amounted to a punch shot over the long boundary at extra cover for another six. Thirty years ago the only player in the world who could do that was Viv Richards. Christian is a powerful man as these shots showed but it also proved just how good the bats are these days. If Vivi had had such equipment he would have destroyed grounds. Christian finished the over with another boundary, completely dominating Stanlake’s pace and leaving only three required from the final over, which Nabi duly completed with a boundary off the first ball. Nabi finished on 48 not out off 30 deliveries, while Christian was 49 not out off 27 deliveries, with two fours and five sixes in an electrifying innings.
Nabi batted well, no doubt. He showed a lot of composure and regard for the situation. It is fascinating to see so many Afghanistan cricketers doing well around the world in this form of the game. Unlike almost four years ago at the 2015 World Cup where they were everyone’s favourite underdog team hoping they could find a way to win a game, they will go into next year’s World Cup with plenty of established and experienced campaigners thanks to the world T20 circuit. Yes the 50 over game is a different format, but Afghanistan will be a fascinating team to watch at that tournament in six months time.
The really amazing innings was that of Christian. He struck the ball so cleanly that it was hard to believe at times. Off Stanlake in the penultimate over, he played an incredible strike over mid wicket for six that flew over the short boundary. He followed that with an even more incredible shot, sitting on the back foot and playing what amounted to a punch shot over the long boundary at extra cover for another six. Thirty years ago the only player in the world who could do that was Viv Richards. Christian is a powerful man as these shots showed but it also proved just how good the bats are these days. If Vivi had had such equipment he would have destroyed grounds. Christian finished the over with another boundary, completely dominating Stanlake’s pace and leaving only three required from the final over, which Nabi duly completed with a boundary off the first ball. Nabi finished on 48 not out off 30 deliveries, while Christian was 49 not out off 27 deliveries, with two fours and five sixes in an electrifying innings.
Not for the first time in this tournament it showed that if a team could establish a partnership through the middle overs then it proved difficult to stop the runs from flowing while they were together. It’s an interesting time in the tournament, as the attempted fireworks at the top of the order that most of the teams are trying to produce are falling flat, while good partnerships in the middle of the order are proving the mainstay. The opportunity for a change in tactics from some teams is open for them to take advantage of.
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