Road warriors Melbourne Renegades to take title bid interstate

Melbourne Renegades look set to pack their impressive interstate record for a cutthroat semi-final next week – most likely to take on Sydney Sixers at the SCG.

The Melbourne Renegades are looking to make their first Big Bash final. (AAP Image/Rob Blakers)

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Melbourne Renegades look set to pack their impressive interstate record for a cutthroat semi-final next week – most likely to take on Sydney Sixers at the SCG.

The red team is the only Big Bash League club still searching for a semi-final victory after falling to eventual champions Brisbane Heat in BBL02 and Adelaide Strikers in BBL07 last summer.

But their trip to the SCG would bode well for their bowling attack, having restricted Sixers to scores of 9/155 (SCG), 7/132 (Marvel Stadium) and 8/111 (Geelong) in the past 13 months.

The Melbourne Renegades are looking to make their first Big Bash final. (AAP Image/Rob Blakers)

Renegades are also 5-1 interstate this season although Thursday night’s loss in Hobart ended their chances of securing a home semi-final.

That match also ended any chance of a Melbourne derby semi-final.

Renegades will face Hurricanes in a semi-final rematch if Melbourne Stars jump into third place by winning their last two games and bridging a net run-rate gap of 0.317.

“It’s out of our hands where we finish now, this being the first game of the last round,” Gades batsman Tom Cooper said.

“So we’ll wait and see and then if we have to play them (Hobart) again in the semi we’ll have to come up with some plans that hopefully might work.

The Renegades have a strong record on the road this season. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“We’re very disappointed. We dragged it back nicely with the ball to a par score on this ground (Blundstone Arena), and then started beautifully with the bat.

“To lose a few wickets through the middle probably got us in a little bit of trouble and it was very disappointing.

“Chasing a score like that a lot of things do have to go right. We probably didn’t have enough wickets in the shed late.

“We had to leave our run a little bit late and hope for a few more things to go right.”

Hobart openers D’Arcy Short and Matthew Wade shot the home side to 0/85 after just 50 balls, punishing BBL leading wicket-taker Kane Richardson (2/55).

The Renegades are likely to face the Sydney Sixers in the semi-final. (AAP Image/Steve Christo)

Gades then reaped 23 runs off their first over as Riley Meredith conceded five wides and then two no-balls in consecutive deliveries before finishing with four leg byes.

But for the 11th game this summer the Renegades failed to post a half-century as they fell to a 16-run loss.

Renegades are 3-0 when a player scores 50 runs this summer and 8-1 when a batsman scores 38 runs or more, but 0-5 when their top score is 33 or under.

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