BBL: KIinger sets Renegades a target of four successive wins

‘Sloppy’ Melbourne Renegades intend to make amends for a disappointing BBL campaign.

Renegades star Beau Webster found some form despite his side’s loss. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Image

Melbourne Renegades coach Micheal Klinger has demanded his “sloppy” side finish their BBL campaign with four successive wins regardless of whether it earns the competition cellar dwellers an unlikely finals berth.

The Renegades were left to rue a series of missed opportunities in their five-wicket loss against the Brisbane Heat on Thursday night that all but condemned them to a second straight year outside the BBL finals.

After winning their first ever Big Bash title in 2018/19, Klinger’s side have since won just five of their next 24 games.

And at Manuka against the Heat, they were left to rue two key missed chances against opposing skipper Chris Lynn, whose 50 off 40 helped his side home and back into the finals spots.

Afghan teen Noor Ahmad dropped Lynn on 22 at deep backward square off the bowling of Jack Prestwidge and, two overs later, Prestwidge thought he had his man before replays revealed he had bowled a rare back-foot no-ball and Lynn was recalled to the crease.

“The best way of describing it (the performance) was a bit sloppy,” Klinger said.

“We gave too many chances in the field. We probably gave them too much width with the ball as well, (and) we probably could have got an extra 10 or 15 runs, so you put all that together and we were just going at 80 per cent of our maximum potential.”

Back in Melbourne with four games in our home town to come. Michael Klinger has his say on how we’re preparing, thanks to Suzuki #GETONRED pic.twitter.com/YoF9PoHZBn

— Melbourne Renegades (@RenegadesBBL) January 15, 2021

Renegades allrounder Beau Webster, who scored 50 not out in a return to form, believed his side\s total of 149 was “absolutely defendable”.

“It wasn’t to be, unfortunately, I think our fielding let us down plenty there, so that cost us,” Webster said.

Webster said it was an aspect of the Renegades’ game that needed to improve.

“Absolutely it was the difference in the end. We hang onto one of those catches there … and the game could go a different way.

|Not saying it would’ve, but it definitely would’ve helped us get some new batters in on a tough wicket to start.

“Our fielding was well below par – it has been a lot of the tournament so that’s one thing we’ve really got to improve on going forward these last four games back in Melbourne and certainly next year.”

The Renegades will play their remaining four games of the season in Melbourne, starting with the Stars on Sunday night.

Klinger said his side was targeting four wins.

“We’ll see where that puts us at the end of the season, but for me it’s more about the players playing to their potential at this tournament,” he said.

“Individually and as a group I don’t think we’ve played at our true potential for the list that we’ve got.”

Originally published as BBL: KIinger sets Renegades a target of four successive wins