Cameron Boyce picked up four wickets in four balls but the Melbourne Renegades ended their campaign on a sorry note as they lost to Sydney Thunder by one run.
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In the history of cricket, there has been only one bowler who took four wickets in four balls. Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka took four wickets in an ODI against South Africa in 2007. He achieved the feat in a Twenty20 International against New Zealand a decade later. Now, in the Big Bash League, another bowler has joined Lasith Malinga in securing a unique ‘double hat-trick.’ Cameron Boyce, the legspinner for the Melbourne Renegades, picked up four wickets in four balls to dent Sydney Thunder.
Boyce ended up taking 5/21 but it was not enough to salvage the campaign for the Melbourne Renegades. They lost by one run as the Sydney Thunder secured a narrow win to all but confirm their spot in the playoffs. For the Renegades, it was yet another year of pain as they finished at the bottom of the table. Melbourne Renegades chose to bowl against Sydney Thunder but they started well. Enter Boyce and he changed the complexion of the game.
Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja started brilliantly. Hales, in particular, raced away and Khawaja also gave him good support. Sydney Thunder went past fifty in just four overs. Hales was nearing his fifty but Boyce entered to change the entire complexion of the match. He dismissed Alex Hales for 44 with Unmukt Chand taking a good catch.
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In the ninth over, he created history. Jason Sangha was stumped for 2 and Boyce got the hat-trick when Alex Ross missed a reverse sweep. When Daniel Sams missed a sweep, Boyce had taken four wickets in four balls. In his third over, Boyce got the wicket of Matthew Gilkes to finish with 5/21, the best figures for a Melbourne Renegades bowler in the Big Bash League.
WWWW
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 19, 2022
Cameron Boyce makes history with a DOUBLE HAT-TRICK at the MCG!
A BKT Golden Moment | #BBL11 pic.twitter.com/NNVZ2gIUSO
Usman Khawaja notched up his fifty and powered the Sydney Thunder past 150. They ended up on 170/8. In order to leapfrog the Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder needed to restrict Melbourne Renegades to under 87. Renegades had to win in order to avoid the wooden spoon.
Melbourne Renegades lost James Seymour cheaply but Aaron Finch was in fine form. He benefited from a dropped catch by Chris Green while Shaun Marsh slammed a couple of fours. But, Tanveer Sangha broke the stand of 61 by having Marsh caught for 19. Unmukt Chand, who had hit just six in the previous game, smashed a couple of sixes to signal his true form. Chand, now playing for the USA after having severed all ties with the BCCI, looked in fine touch.
Finch went past fifty but Sangha sent back Chand for 29. Jonathan Merlo was in fine form and Finch continued to pummel the Sydney Thunder bowlers. Melbourne Renegades needed nine from the last over. But, Gurinder Sandhu held his nerve. Sandhu sent back Finch for 82 with Daniel Sams taking a brilliant catch. Will Sutherland then hit a six and Renegades needed two runs off one ball.
But, Boyce, who had taken 5/21, hit straight to backward point and Sydney Thunder had won by one run. This was the second consecutive match that they had lost by a small margin, losing by six runs against the Hobart Hurricanes.
