BBL 2020: Renegades rookie Peter Hatzoglou leaves Perth Scorchers in a spin

A young leg-spinner who was playing third grade cricket just a couple of years ago is leading a new wave of fresh faces in the Big Bash this season.

Peter Hatzoglou was superb on debut for Melbourne Renegades. Picture: Getty Images

Get used to seeing players you’re not used to performing on the big stage.

Efforts like Saturday night’s breakout 2-28 from unheralded leggie Peter Hatzoglou for the Melbourne Renegades will be coming more often, according to Renegades quick Josh Lalor.

Hatzoglou’s speedy leg-spinners had the Scorchers in all sorts but he only officially signed at BBL level on Monday.

Hobart’s Tim David had never scored more than 20 runs as a Scorcher before a player of the match performance 58 in the Hurricanes’ win over the Sixers to start the season.

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Renegades rookie Peter Hatzoglou made a big impact against Perth Scorchers. Picture: Getty Images

Lalor, whose stint with the Renegades marks his fifth BBL franchise, said more surprise packets were on the way with national squads in hub environments and other uncertainties in a COVID season.

“We’ve seen an unheralded number of replacement players get signed, guys that I’ve played with or against for a number of years that are coming in as replacement players,” Lalor said.

“We’ve got to remember that these guys are really excellent cricketers and they’re keen to have an opportunity like Pete was today – he’s super keen to play and wanted to show what he could do.

“Sometimes the guys that are fresh-faced are the ones with the most energy.

“I don’t think Pete’s going to be the only one for the tournament, put it that way.”

Hatzoglou was playing as low as third grade for Melbourne University only a couple of years back. But the young spinner held his own on Saturday night and claimed Test scalps in the form of Cameron Bancroft and Mitchell Marsh.

“Pete did brilliantly and the most impressive thing was that he was up for the contest,” Lalor said. “He was 100 per cent keen to be out there, to get amongst it. He was saying today he was pretty pumped.

Peter Hatzoglou has brought plenty of energy to the Renegades. Picture: Getty Images

“You could see with his energy and when he got his wickets he was pretty pumped. That was excellent to see and really exciting for us to have a guy that’s a bit different, another string to our bow as a bowling unit.”

Lalor said the unheralded newcomers posed a massive challenge in a competition ruled by set plays, match-ups and scouting.

“To have someone they’ve never seen before can be an advantage,” Lalor said.

“(South Afrcian Renegades import) Rilee Rossouw says Australians love to use the term match up in T20 cricket.

“In a game that is so short, you’re so reliant on match ups.

“When you have an advantage like that, they’ll see Pete in the 13 and ask, ‘Does anyone know anything about him?’ The answer is, ‘No, probably not.’

“So they might try to target him on debut but it can go both ways.

“We saw the way it can go for you.”

IMPORTS EXPORTED

The Scorchers stacked their top order for BBL10 but may be calling on their powerful internationals to cool it after a disastrous start to the season.

English-born Josh Inglish and imports Colin Munro (NZ) and Joe Clarke (England) combined for 19 runs – including three boundaries and a six – and had all departed before three overs had passed.

Their early departures roused the Renegades and put a massive Perth score out of reach before the innings had really begun.

Josh Lalor celebrates the dismissal of Colin Munro. Picture: Getty Images

HARPER TURNS ARCHER

Perth captain Ashton Turner had started to rebuild the Scorchers’ innings, racing to 24 off 15, until he dropped a short one from Jack Prestwidge and set off for a single.

Enter Sam Harper, who ditched his keeping glove, pounced on the ball and swung around for a direct hit with his inner still on to catch Turner short of his ground.

Finch hinted that the Renegades were waiting to trap Turner: “He tries to put you under pressure with his running. To grab that one was brilliant.”

COMPETITION ON NOTICE

A cruisy chase led by Marsh and Finch (35), picking up a bonus point on the way, showed that champions from BBL08 are primed for more silverware.

A tight, versatile bowling line-up gives Finch the luxury of saving Kane Richardson for pivotal overs and he capitalised with a spell of 3-22. Josh Lalor kept it tight for 3-30 and with Mohammad Nabi waiting in the wings in quarantine it will be tough for opposing batting line-ups.