Peter Siddle will ignore pain of hand injury to get back Adelaide back on winners list against AB de Villiers’ Brisbane Heat
Why Adelaide is chasing the ‘perfect’ game to sink AB de Villiers’ Brisbane Heat.
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Dealing with pain is all in a day’s work for Peter Siddle whether helping bushfire casualties or confronting Brisbane Heat tomorrow with another hand injury.
Siddle’s right bowling hand has been stitched after tearing webbing in the Strikers loss to Brisbane at the Gabba on Tuesday. Siddle broke his left thumb during the Ashes series opener in Birmingham then bowled with a torn hip flexor in the series finale at The Oval.
“It’s not too bad, a bit sore but just get back out there hopefully don’t have to stop too many balls,” said Siddle of a torn right mitt which means he will have to ‘hide’ in the field.
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“I did it a couple of years ago on the opposite hand.
“Right hand this time, a bit of a nuisance but pretty confident it will be fine to bowl this game. I broke my left thumb in the first Ashes Test, it is just part of the game. You always have injuries and things that happen. As long as I am still useful for the team out in the middle I will stay out there.”
The Strikers need 67-Test veteran Siddle firing to quell South African great AB de Villiers and Chris Lynn who arrives in Adelaide with a BBL record 141 sixes.
Siddle noted de Villiers (40) and unconquered Matt Renshaw (52) were under ‘no scoreboard pressure’ chasing the Strikers 110 total in Brisbane.
“Hopefully we put a good score on the board if we bat first, if not we have to bowl well to him. We have to make sure we are on,” said Siddle with 10 wickets at 17.4 this season.
“When you are not having to chase a high run rate it is a bit easier to work them around as they did. We get to have another crack at them again and hopefully turn the tables.”
Just like surfers pursuing a wonder wave, Adelaide hasn’t ‘got the perfect game together’ losing four of five games concedes Siddle
“The batters are keen to put a big score on the board, we haven’t had a real big one yet,” said Siddle with Adelaide in fifth spot and in danger of missing finals if defeats follow against Brisbane, Hobart and top side Melbourne Stars.
“We can defend most totals.”
Siddle’s Wickets for Wildlife campaign has raised over half its target $50,000 target with English Championship and T20 champion Essex the latest to back its seamer. Siddle, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson are donating $200 for every wicket they take this summer to help animals affected by bushfires.
“We are up to $27,000 at the moment, going well. Zamps and Richo over in India got a few wickets,” he said.
“We set a big goal so it is going along nicely, even my County club Essex has put up some shirts and memorabilia from our championship winning side from last year which was signed by the boys.”