BBL: Chris Gayle and Aaron Finch bat Renegades to win over Hurricanes

CA officials have labelled comments made by Chris Gayle during a sideline interview with a female TV reporter as disrespectful.

Chris Gayle loses his footing and his wicket against the Hurricanes in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Skipper Aaron Finch led a resurgent Melbourne Renegades to a five-wicket BBL win, but his opening partner Chris Gayle caused all the after-match chatter with his moves off the field as well as on it.

Opener Finch crafted a classy 60 at Bellerive Oval last night as the Renegades needed only 14 overs to reach 5-141 in reply to the hosts’ 5-140.

Finch’s knock included 11 boundaries, but the former West Indies Test captain Gayle was the talk of the night on social media.

He raced to 41 from 15 deliveries with four boundaries and three sixes, thrilling the crowd of 16,412.

But not so well received was his sideline interview with Ten Network presenter Mel McLaughlin.

Cricket Australia officials later labelled comments made by Gayle during a sideline interview as disrespectful and inappropriate.

“Hopefully we can win this game and you and I can have a drink after,” Gayle told the reporter who was left lost for words.

VIDEO: “Don’t blush, baby” - Gayle’s interview

The player said his dismissal allowed him to “come to this interview to see you” and went on to tell McLaughlin there was no need to blush.

It prompted an on-air apology from the network a short time later, and reassurance there won’t be such comments made in the ­future.

Anthony Everard, head of the BBL, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure at the interview.

“I heard Chris’ comments and they’re disrespectful and simply inappropriate,” Everard wrote. “We’ll certainly be talking to him and the Renegades about it. This league is all about its appeal to kids, families and females.

“There’s just no place in the BBL - or for that matter, cricket anywhere - for that sort of behaviour.”

Previously big-hitting Dan Christian scored 58 for the Hurricanes, belting four boundaries and three sixes in his innings, bringing up his half-century off 35 deliveries. “We were in a bit of trouble there at the start,” Christian told the Ten Network after leaving the ground, caught in the outfield off the bowling of Xavier Doherty (2-19).

“There’s such a short boundary out there ... it’s nice to get a couple away.”

The early outlook for the Hurricanes had been grim as they sank to 3-20 after six overs.

Skipper Tim Paine (2) was the first to fall, bowled by Doherty. Replacement batsman Kumar Sangakkara (3) faced only eight balls and then the usually reliable George Bailey (0) failed to contribute, caught when trying to loft a shot over mid-off.

Opener Ben Dunk reached a shaky 37, his biggest total in BBL this summer.

Renegades’ paceman Chris Tremain finished his four-over spell with a frugal 1-11 while Cameron Gannon (2-31) also impressed.

The result keeps the Renegades’ finals hopes alive, coming after three successive losses which had them sliding towards the bottom of the ladder.

AAP