BBL: Renegades load up with big hitters in quest to replicate women’s title
The new-look Renegades will play their first Marvel home game of the season on Monday, with captain Will Sutherland predicting fireworks. Here’s everything you need to know about the match, and other big events happening in Melbourne.
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New Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland says the club has been buoyed by the women’s side’s maiden WBBL title and hopes to make it a double this summer.
The women defeated the Brisbane Heat at the MCG in November to be crowned champions of WBBL season 10, with captain Sophie Molineux expressing “pure elation” after “10 years at the Renegades (filed with) plenty of highs and lows”.
Sutherland shares Molineux’s passion for the ’Gades, having been a one-club player there since season 2018/19, and similarly aspires to “create my own success” to repay the club that has “put a lot of faith in me”.
“There’s staff that are involved across both (men’s and women’s) teams, and quite a lot of the boys follow the girls’ progress,” said Sutherland, who recently signed a new three-year deal with the Renegades. “So there are only positives to be taken out of it.”
Sutherland was part of the squad when the club won its sole men’s title against the Melbourne Stars in February 2019, but did not play in the final.
A few challenges await the red team early in BBL season 14, including a match-up with the Perth Scorchers on December 23.
This will be the ’Gades first match at Marvel this season. Fans who turn up will enjoy top-notch cricket, DJ performances, fireworks and other entertainment – and could find themselves in the thick of the action, with a host of big-hitters joining Renegades this season.
They include English T20 specialist and Scorchers defector Laurie Evans, and New Zealand keeper-batter Tim Seifert.
“Laurie Evans will be very exciting at Marvel,” Sutherland said “I played golf with him the other day and he hits a drive a long way. Hopefully that’s a good sign for a cricket ball.
“And I reckon fans will probably catch a few sixes off Tim Seifert.”
The 25-year-old said the Scorchers would be a “tough opposition”, highlighting their potent bowling attack of Lance Morris, Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye, Matt Kelly and Jhye Richardson.
Evans will have to leave midway through the BBL, but the ’Gades have gained new England number three Jacob Bethell following the Test series against New Zealand. Josh Brown and Gurinder Sandhu have come over from the Heat and Thunder respectively, and Marcus Harris will be back in red.
The Renegades have a new coach in former player Cameron White. Sutherland expected his “tactical nous” to give the ’Gades an edge.
“Having a past BBL winner at the club adds energy,” he added. “He brings success.
“I’m excited (about the role of captain). I got a bit of a taste for it (last season). I captain my best when I’m trusting my gut and my instincts. I always try and back in my teammates.”
Fans will still see plenty of familiar faces this season – including $1.65m IPL pick-up Jake Fraser-McGurk, star spinner Adam Zampa, young guns Fergus O’Neill and Mackenzie Harvey, and ever-reliable pace bowlers Kane Richardson and Tom Rogers.
Of Richardson and Rogers, Sutherland said: “They’re in a similar boat to me, especially Richo, haven’t had heaps of Renegades success for a while but have stuck through. He’s one of the guys I’d love to have a good BBL for and win a title for, because he’s been so loyal.”
The Melbourne Renegades will take on the Perth Scorchers at Marvel Stadium, 7.15pm on December 23. Tickets available via Ticketmaster.
WHAT’S ON IN MELBOURNE
Yayoi Kusama
More than 200 works by one of the world’s most celebrated living artists – 95-year-old Yayoi Kusama – are on the show at NGV International until April 21. The highly anticipated exhibition surveys the Japanese artist’s remarkable eight-decade career, with highlights including her popular polka-dotted pumpkin and flower sculptures, an iteration of her Narcissus Garden and a world-record 10 infinity mirror rooms, which visitors can fully immerse themselves in. Pre-booking is strongly advised.
ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/yayoi-kusama
Back-to-back basketball
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix will take on the Adelaide 36ers in an NBL clash at John Cain Arena on December 21 at 8pm, before the Southside Flyers meet Bendigo Spirit in an all-Victorian WNBL affair at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South the following day at 3pm.
Myer Christmas Windows
Wildlife warriors Terri, Robert and Bindi Irwin are the stars of Myer’s 69th annual Christmas Windows, which will be on display daily until January 5. “An Irwin’s Christmas Story” sees Ace the Eagle explore Australia Zoo across six windows at the flagship Bourke St store, crossing oceans and savannas and encountering animals including meerkats, elephants, tiger cubs and crocodiles. The display is complemented by an activation on level six of the store, featuring a commissioned production from Terrapin Theatre Company titled “Christmas at the Crocoseum”.
Boxing Day Test
The action-packed Border-Gavaskar Trophy continues at the MCG from December 26. Huge crowds backing both Australia and India are expected to pack the stands to learn – will Pat Cummins and co take the advantage in the red-hot best-of-five Test series? Or will Jasprit Bumrah bowl Rohit Sharma’s men to a dominant position? Tickets available via Ticketek, all publicly available tickets to day one are already sold out.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Featuring 23 hit songs – including Simply The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It, Nutbush City Limits and Proud Mary – this award-winning musical based on the life of legendary artist Tina Turner will be wowing audiences at the Princess Theatre until February 9. Melburnian Ruva Ngwenya shines in the coveted lead role alongside Giovanni Adams as Ike Turner.
tinathemusical.com.au
City of Melbourne’s Christmas Festival
Entering its final days, this festive festival in Melbourne’s CBD features the Crown Christmas River Show (until December 25), the Christmas Cinema screening classic films at the Capitol Theatre (until December 22), a Christmas Carnival bringing festival thrills and carnival treats to the banks of the Yarra (until December 24) – and more. Fed Square has also been transformed into Christmas Square, showcasing a 17.5m-high tree.
whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/things-to-do/christmas
A-League Melbourne derby
Cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory and City will go head-to-head at AAMI Park from 7.35pm on December 21, in what’s sure to be an ultra-competitive contest. City fans can also support their women’s team the following weekend, when they face Wellington Phoenix FC at ctrl:cyber Pitch in Cranbourne East from 5pm on December 28.
Darkfield’s Séance and Flight
Multisensory shipping container experiences Darkfield’s Séance and Flight have returned to the Arts Centre Melbourne Forecourt following record-breaking seasons interstate. Séance is described as “an intense sonic performance that explores the psychology of a group of people who have been bombarded with suggestible material”, plunging audiences into complete darkness to leave their senses “vulnerable to persuasion”. Flight takes audience members “through two worlds, two realities and two outcomes to their journey”. They will play until mid February.
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Fresh clues have emerged about how a former Melbourne Grammar pupil believed to have been taken as a Russian prisoner of war in Ukraine ended up in the conflict zone.
Grampians bushfire rages, crews brace for ‘uncontrollable’ fire conditions on Boxing Day
Grampians residents have been told to leave now as a raging bushfire threatens more properties, while firefighters brace for conditions as extreme as the Black Summer, with severe winds and scorching temperatures of up to 40C looming.