BBL13: Renegades v Scorchers game called off due to dangerous wicket

Rain doused the Geelong area for most of the weekend, and as a result fewer than seven overs were played between the Scorchers and the Renegades due to the dangers of the pitch.

The future of BBL games at GMHBA Stadium could be under threat after Sunday night’s clash between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers was sensationally abandoned due to a dangerous pitch for the first time in competition history.

Despite the wet weather clearing in Geelong after all local cricket had been washed out on Saturday, play was suspended after only 41 balls after Scorchers batters Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie expressed concern to the umpires over several deliveries which bounced sharply.

Players shook hands 20 minutes later with the game abandoned after match referee Kent Hannam inspected the pitch once more and deemed it unsafe to continue.

A solid crowd in Geelong booed as the decision was announced, before the post-game fireworks were set off moments later.

There are no other games scheduled at GMHBA Stadium this season after the Renegades cut back their commitment to one game when the tournament was shortened.

The home side had won the toss and elected to field after Nic Maddinson described the pitch as “absolutely drenched” at the toss.

Renegades players look at the pitch. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The Scorchers battled to 2-20 after five overs before a series of steeply rising deliveries from Will Sutherland in the seventh over was the catalyst for the umpires to halt play.

Inglis, who only faced seven balls, threw his arms up after the fifth ball of the over ballooned through to the keeper and could be heard in the effects mic on Fox Cricket repeating: “This is a joke”.

Sutherland joked he would be eager to continue bowling but said he understood the Scorchers’ concerns as the prospect of facing speedster Jhye Richardson on the pitch later in the evening worried the Renegades.

“It’s potentially a bit unsafe, so we’ll see what happens. When you hit the seam, it was just sitting in the wicket and popping,” Sutherland told Fox Cricket.

“I’m happy to keep bowling another few overs and then we can call it off, but yeah I probably wouldn’t want to be batting on this wicket.

“I wouldn’t want to be facing Jhye on this wicket, that’s for sure.

“Josh Inglis was throwing his hands around, with that body language there he wasn’t too happy, so understandably he probably felt a bit unsafe.”

The Scorchers, who finished on 2-30 after 6.5 overs, will remain in Victoria to face the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Wednesday night.

The Renegades do not play again until December 21 when they face Brisbane Heat at Marvel Stadium.

Umpires Simon Lightbody and Ben Treloar told Fox Cricket the surface had appeared playable until Sutherland’s balls in the seventh over raised alarm bells.

“No concerns when we started, we wanted to give it every chance, so that’s why we obviously started play out there,” Treloar said.

“It looked alright on top, and the first few overs we were really quite hopeful with what we saw, but just at the end, that last (ball), that was enough for us to consider that being dangerous.

“It was that last delivery, that was the one that got us to that dangerous position … the safety of the (players) is paramount.”

Treloar confirmed the teams would share the points with “no result” recorded.

Originally published as BBL13: Renegades v Scorchers game called off due to dangerous wicket