BBL7 - Hurricanes v Thunder Recap - My 5 Takes

1. Hurricanes Get First Win
 
George Bailey would have breathed a sigh of relief last night as his Hurricanes broke through for their first win, beating the Thunder by 9 runs at Spotless Stadium. In a high scoring affair, the Thunder went close to running down the Hurricanes imposing 4/189, thanks to a swashbuckling 81 from Jos Buttler. However, another middle order collapse stopped them in their tracks. Earlier in the night, Darcy Short had played a blinder of an innings, scoring 97 from just 63 balls including four 6’s, while Ben McDermott chipped in with an important cameo towards the end, belting 49 from just 25 balls. The loss drops the Thunder to 2-3 as they continue their inconsistent form in BBL7.
 
2. Short Impresses
 
Darcy Short can be a hot and cold player, but when he is “on” there are not too many better in the BBL. He even got the attention of the great Shane Warne last night who tweeted that Short is a player he would like to see in Australian T20 colours, with his package of top order power hitting and left arm wrist spin. Short is incredibly well balanced and hit the ball very sweetly in climbing into five 6’s and nine 4’s. Short was particular savage on anything straight, as he lifted the ball over the leg side effortlessly at times. Short has finally broken through into First Class cricket, however, only averages 22 from six games, and bizarrely batted as low as Number 9 for the Warriors against Victoria in their last First Class game. In that match he impressed with the ball, taking 3/78 off 21 overs against a strong Victorian line up. 
 
3. Hurricanes Construct an Innings
 
This was about as good a batting performance as the Hurricanes are capable of as they finally kick started their season with a first win from three attempts. I thought it was a good move to get wicketkeeper Matthew Wade up to Number 3 and more involved in the game. Wade has had a wretched time in the middle order in all forms of cricket in the past few months and, whilst he only managed 27 from 23 balls, it allowed Ben McDermott to come in and play with freedom at Number 4 later in the innings. Alex Doolan’s struggles at the top of the order continue, and I would be tempted to push Wade up to open and bat George Bailey at Number 3, as I think having him at 5 is far too low for a player of his class. 
 
4. Thunder Leave Buttler Stranded
 
Jos Buttler certainly enjoys playing against the Hobart Hurricanes, having racked up scores totalling 148 runs in two innings against the men in purple. Buttler eclipsed his 67 in Launceston with a brutal 81 from just 43 balls, including five 6’s. Buttler was left stranded in many respects, facing just 43 off a possible 115 balls as the Thunder struggled to rotate and get the in-form Englishman on strike. Buttler, unlike fellow English imports across town in Jason Roy and Sam Billings, has made a big impact at the Thunder with his clean striking and tidy wicketkeeping. He showed his class later in the innings as he worked the ball into different areas, brutalising some sixes down the ground, but also manipulating the ball behind square to find the boundary when third man was brought up. 
 
5. Fielding Blunder Nearly Costs Canes
 
There is no doubt Jofra Archer is a very promising emerging talent in world cricket, however he will need to scrub up on his fielding once he reaches the international level. Two games in a row now, Archer has fumbled regulation outfield catches in key moments of the game. Whilst anyone can drop catches under pressure, last night’s fumble could have been extremely costly as Jos Buttler went on to nearly steal the game from the Hurricanes. One thing I have to question is why George Bailey had Archer fielding in the key position of long on. Long on is normally reserved for someone like a David Warner type fielder, a great athlete with a safe pair of hands. It’s one of the most prolific areas for a batsman, particularly in the final ten overs. I don't expect to be seeing Archer down there in the future.