Perth Scorchers defeat Melbourne Renegades by 96 runs, Aaron Finch's side suffer 6th loss in a row
Melbourne Renegades suffered their sixth consecutive loss in the BBL as they succumbed to a 96-run defeat against the Perth Scorchers. Helped by Josh Inglis' 72* off 41 balls, the Scorchers set up a challenging total of 185 runs. In response, Aaron Finch's side capitulated as they could only manage 89 runs. Fawad Ahmed and Aaron Hardie picked two wickets each for the Scorchers.
With yet another defeat, the Renegades are stuck in the last spot in the BBL points table.
Brief BBL score: Perth Scorchers 185-3 (Inglis- 72*, Prestwidge 2-32). Melbourne Renegades 89 all out in 12.5 overs (Prestwidge-33, Ahmed 2-5)
Another Renegades batting collapse in this BBL
The Renegades were bowled out for less than 100 for the third time this BBL. Aaron Finch's move to demote himself to no.3 didn't pay off as new opener Sam Harper was cleaned by Jhye Richardson for 4.
Renegades lost Finch to a run out after he was backing up too far at the bowler's end and couldn't get back in time when Shaun Marsh played a straight drive. The Renegades never recovered from that early blow. Marsh (14) was also dismissed with Jason Roy taking a screamer at point.
It just seemed like one of those days for the Renegades as their two key batsmen suffered freak dismissals. After that, it was a procession of wickets. Prestwidge showed some resistance with his 33, but it wasn't enough.
Munro and Inglis' partnership takes the game away
Put in to bat first; the Scorchers were off to a slow start. Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone couldn't get going as they only mustered 33 runs in the first five overs. The latter was stumped soon off the bowling of Noor Ahmad.
Roy continued for a while, but he wasn't at his fluent best and managed just 27 off 32 deliveries. Then the pair of Colin Munro and Josh Inglis put up a 117-run stand. After ten overs, the Scorchers were 63-2, but they ended up with 185 runs from their 20 overs.
The momentum shifted when the Scorchers took the BBL power surge in the 13th over. They amassed 26 runs in those two overs. Munro later took 19 runs of Noor Ahmad's bowling, smashing two sixes off him. By the time the Kiwi batsman was dismissed in the final over, he had done his job with a well-made 52 off just 31 balls, which consisted of five sixes. At the other end, Josh Inglis remained unbeaten on 72.
The total was too much for the Renegades as they suffered yet another heavy defeat.