Huge drama as Big Bash mankad incident turns heated

There have been fireworks in the BBL New Year’s Eve blockbuster with a mankad moment threatening to boil over.

There were fireworks in the BBL New Year’s Eve blockbuster as a mankad drama turned heated on Tuesday night at the Adelaide Oval.

The battle between the Sixers and Scorchers threatened to boil over as Adelaide import Jamie Overton took umbrage at the early treatment he received from Perth batters Cooper Connolly and Finn Allen.

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Overton was already in a mood after being whacked for 18 runs from his first over and it clearly showed when he ran out Allen at the non striker’s end with a classic mankad – before withdrawing his appeal.

You can watch the incident in the video player above.

The mankad Jamie Overton then withdrew his appeal for.

Jamie Overton had words with Finn Allen after his mankad warning.

“He did say to the umpire, no that’s the warning,” Fox Cricket’s Brad Haddin said, according to foxsports.com.au.

“I think that confrontation with Allen has got under his skin.

“He’s a competitor Overton.

“That confrontation a couple of overs ago is still right there on the surface.”

Jamie Overton was fired up as he confronted Scorcher Finn Allen.

The umpire sent Jamie Overton on his way after a mid-pitch confrontation.

“This has become very heated between this pair Finn Allen and Jamie Overton,” Kerry O’Keeffe added.

Allen could be seen just shaking his head as Overton gestured towards him. Their war of words carried on until the end of Overton’s over - and only ended after Allen was dismissed a few overs later.

“Don’t we love to see a bit of aggro,” Isa Guha said on Fox Cricket.

“He’s getting stuck in.”

Overton didn’t have the happiest of New Year’s Eve matches after being dismissed for one with the bat.

And he didn’t fair much better with the ball, with 0-27 off his two overs.

It was a tough night for his teammates as well with the Scorchers cruising to a dominant seven wicket win, having chased down the Striker’s total of 143 with 33 balls remaining.

The mankad was the subject of plenty of controversy less than two years ago when then-Star Adam Zampa tried to run out Melbourne rival Tom Rogers in the Big Bash League.

The dismissal was famously dubbed a “mankad” named after the India bowler who ran out Australia batsman Bill Brown in the 1948 Sydney Test, and has ignited debate just about every time it has been used since then.

Just days after Zampa’s unsuccessful attempt – which received the full support of cricket great Brian Lara, Sixer Dan Christian gave a warning – much like Overton did on Tuesday night – in his side’s clash with the Perth Scorchers.

Given the drama surrounding the mankad at the time, the law was amended to state: “Even if the nonstriker had left his/her ground before the instant at which the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, once the bowler has reached that point it is no longer possible for the bowler to run out the nonstriker under this Law.”

In Tuesday night’s clash, it was Allen with the last laugh as he brought up his maiden Big Bash League 50.

The Kiwi import had been struggling and was staring down the possibility of becoming the first Scorchers in BBL history to record three consecutive ducks.

But he survived being dropped on 11 and made the most of his second chance – in a competition where he had made just 10 in his four starts.

“I think I was probably over complicating things at the start,” he told Fox Cricket after being dismissed for 50 off 23 balls.

“I just went back to my old set up, what I do well.”

When asked on his battle with Overton, Allen replied: “I think it was just emotions get high in games … we just exchanged a little smile and thumbs up before so all’s good.”

The match was the case of what could have been for Adelaide, given Connolly should have been out caught behind on just four – but the Strikers’ did not opt for the review.

Connolly went on to make 48 not out off 35 balls.

— with foxsports.com.au