Scorchers unable to catch Stars
MEDIA RELEASE
SCORCHERS UNABLE TO CATCH STARS
The Perth Scorchers have fallen by 10 runs to the Melbourne Stars at the MCG today in the 11th match of their 2019-20 KFC Big Bash League campaign.
A frustrating batting display by the visitors undid their damaging efforts with the ball in the first innings.
The Scorchers were quick to make their presence felt at the home of cricket, Matt Kelly sending WA teammates Marcus Stoinis (6) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (7) back to the sheds in his first two overs of the match.
The visitors executed the powerplay perfectly, their disciplined bowling restricting the ladder-leaders Stars to just 2-29.
The pressure gauge maxed out again when Scorchers spin king Fawad Ahmed took the scalp of Nic Maddison (3) in the seventh over.
Jhye Richardson (1-23) was also damaging with the ball, producing a perfect yorker to dismiss Nick Larkin for 24.
But it was Kelly who starred with the ball for Perth, finishing with a damaging 3-27 to restrict the Stars to a 141 total.
Liam Livingstone (18) and Cameron Bancroft got the runs ticking over early producing a 30-run partnership, before it was broken by Stars’ Sandeep Lamichhane.
Bancroft (32) top scored for the Scorchers and debutant Kurtis Patterson (20) proved his worth, but the side struggled to create a lasting partnership, ultimately falling 10 runs short in their chase.
Scorchers skipper Mitch Marsh said both him and the team were incredibly disappointed.
“We should have been able to chase down 140 but there was a lot of poor decision making, and I can’t say anything more than that, it was really disappointing,” he said.
“That was a big game to win and really set up our finals run, but we will get on the plane tonight and front up on Monday and get back onto the winners table.
“We can’t complain or blame our schedule at the end of the day we are playing the game of cricket that we love and we had the opportunity to win that game but we didn’t take it.”
The Scorchers head back West to take on the Sydney Thunder in their Indigenous match on Monday at Optus Stadium.