Melbourne Renegades dominated by Bash Brothers in thrashing

The entertainment factor of Brisbane’s Bash Brothers had the needle moving so wildly the meek run chase of the Melbourne Renegades was easily forgettable.

Chris Lynn went large.

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The entertainment factor of Brisbane’s Bash Brothers had the needle moving so wildly in Geelong the meek run chase of the Melbourne Renegades was almost easily forgettable.

Brisbane’s big-hitting stars Brendan McCullum and Chris Lynn combined for nine sixes in their season-high score of 4-192 as the Heat posted a first win over the Renegades since 2013.

The Renegades succumbed for just 91 and the 101 loss was the second-biggest in BBL history.

Worse for the home team, they couldn’t even get away former Test batsman Matthew Renshaw. He had never bowled in the BBL, but opened the bowling for the Heat, went for just three runs and immediately stifled any launching pad for the men in red.

But it was the hitting display of McCullum, Lynn and Heat opener Max Bryant that served notice to the rest of the competition as the Big Bash starts its second half.

McCullum racked up his third straight 50 with a brutal innings of 69 and Lynn (66) his third half century this season as they took apart the oddly shaped arena.

Chris Lynn went large.

Twice in the same over off Renegades seamer Dan Christian, Lynn took a massive swing but only managed to get a top-edge which seemed to go straight up.

The leg-side boundary was, however, just over 50m away and while the first skied ball fell just inside the rope, the second went over it.

None of the boundaries were big enough however with Lynn clearing the sight-screens at both ends as he and McCullum combined for all their team’s nine maximums.

TOM TOMS ARE BEATING

Renegades skipper Tom Cooper was filthy when given out LBW to Mitch Swepson for 10 because it only compounded what’s becoming an ugly season for the South Australian.

Cooper took the captaincy reins from Aaron Finch, who has played only one game, getting the nod ahead of veteran Cameron White, who was dropped from the line-up after five games for lack of runs.

But Cooper has hardly fared better. He has just 105 runs from seven innings, and is averaging just 15, a number he has only passed twice and the pressure is growing on the stand-in skipper to get some sort of score.

Mitchell Swepson celebrates the wicket of Tom Cooper.

HARRY WHO?

Test opener Marcus Harris only met his new Renegades teammate Harry Gurney on match-day. But the meeting went well-enough for Harris to call the English import a “good bloke”.

Gurney, who has played 10 one-day-internationals for England, all in 2014, made his Melbourne debut having come to the Big Bash with a reputation as a death-bowling specialist.

That recommendation came from Renegades veteran Dan Christian, who played with Gurney for English county team Nottingham.

Gurney looked fairly pedestrian early, just nudging 130km with his left-arm medium pace, but was called on to bowl the 17th and 19th overs to curb the rampant Heat batsmen.

He went for 17 off the two overs but also dismissed Brisbane high-scorer McCullum, then bowled Renshaw, to finish with OK figures of 2-37.

Harry Gurney of Melbourne Renegades (centre) celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of Brendon McCullum.

BABY BASH

Teenager Max Bryant has been auditioning all season to be recognised as a fully-fledged “Bash Brother” after replacing teammate Lynn as Kiwi slugger McCullum’s opening partner.

His Geelong effort should surely be enough for him to graduate from “Baby Bash Brother” after he clubbed the Renegades to all parts.

The 19-year-old, who was signed by the NRL’s Gold Coast Titans when he was 15 but choose to pursue cricket, slugged eight fours, all in the first five overs.

He smashed Joe Mennie for four fours in a row in the third over on his way to a 24-ball innings of 44, his best for the Heat.

NOT SPUN OUT

As soon as Lynn came to the crease the Renegades brought on their Bash Brothers destroyer.

Leg-spinner Cameron Boyce got both the big-hitters out in last Wednesday’s encounter in Brisbane, and has dismissed McCullum three times and Lynn four times in the Big Bash League, which is more than any other bowler.

He came on in the eighth over, and the Gades needed to get one of them out fast. But the batsmen got their own back, taking 37 off Boyce’s four overs, with each hitting at least one six, and three in total.

Boyce didn’t claim either scalp this time.

Cameron Boyce copped a hammering.

FAST START V NO START

Renegades opening bowler Joe Mennie went for 23 off his second over, the third of the Brisbane innings, when Bryant whacked him for four fours and McCullum smashed him for six.

He didn’t bowl again until the last over and went for 16, for figures of 0-46 off three overs.

A chasing team always has to swing a bit harder but the performance of the Heat bowlers was world beating by comparison.

Josh Lalor, playing only his third game for the season, had 2-8 though his first two overs, and the Heat’s brand new opening bowler, former Test batsman Matt Renshaw, went for just 11 runs in his two overs.

The Renegades were 3-29 at the end of their six over powerplay. Brisbane made 67 in the same period. Melbourne was never in it.

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