Siddle’s 148km/h rocket, seagull, classic catches: Best viral moments from BBL|14

A veteran Australian bowler has stunned the Big Bash with a seriously unexpected delivery as his side qualified for finals.

The pointy end of the 14th edition of the Big Bash League is upon us and the finals schedule is just about locked in.

The Melbourne Stars defeated the Hobart Hurricanes in the last game of the regular season and to jump into fourth place on the ladder, knocking the Perth Scorchers out of finals.

Watch every game of the BBL Finals LIVE and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

It looked like another grim season was on the cards for the Stars when they lost their first five games, but they’ve won five in a row to make the finals.

Glenn Maxwell has found form and is averaging 224 from his last three matches (76*, 58* and 90). Can Melbourne Stars fans dare to dream of a maiden BBL title?

With each team playing 10 games in a reduced fixture in recent years, each match has mattered.

From swashbuckling centuries to classic catches and brutal injuries, there’s been plenty of highlights from BBL|14. Let’s look back at the viral moments from the season so far.

40 years young, Peter Siddle has still got it. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Siddle’s 148km/h thunderbolt

Peter Siddle has been one of the Melbourne Stars’ best bowlers this season and he turned back the clock with a lightning fast delivery in the win over the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The speed gun clocked a Siddle yorker at 148km/h, prompting Stars batter Tim David to give him a fist bump midpitch. You can watch the delivery in the video above.

The 40-year-old has confirmed he will suit up for the Stars again next summer. He might have David as a teammate too, with reports the power hitter is set to make the move from Hobart to Melbourne.

Smith tops crop of centuries, injury scare hangs over tour

Steve Smith smacked 121 not out from 64 balls at the SCG in his return to the Sydney Sixers in January.

He looked so good it sparked conversation about whether he should be picked up in the Indian Premier League or open the batting for Australia in T20s.

Mitchell Owen scored 101 not out from 64 balls for the Hurricanes to kick off the season, and Matt Short’s strike rate was above 200 for his centuries for the Adelaide Strikers against the Brisbane Heat.

Steve Smith is racing the clock to be fit for Tests against Sri Lanka. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

James Vince steered the Sixers with a 58-ball century on Boxing Day at the SCG. The England import has quit his first-class cricket post with Hampshire and is moving to Dubai after attacks on his family home last year.

Jake Fraser-McGurk had a shocker of a season by his standards until he bludgeoned 95 off 46 deliveries to help the Renegades chase down 199 in their last game of the season.

Smith hurt his elbow throwing the ball while playing for the Sixers in their rained out game against the Thunder on Friday. He is wearing an elbow brace after undergoing scans.

The 35-year-old will join his Australian teammates in Dubai for training camp ahead of two Tests against Sri Lanka, where Smith will fill in for Pat Cummins as captain.

Brutal injuries

Cricket fans had their hearts in their mouths when Hilton Cartwright had to be taken off the MCG in a medical cart following a nasty incident.

The Melbourne Stars all-rounder appeared to injure his neck and shoulder while fielding and looked in serious trouble for a moment.

Thankfully, he escaped serious injury and returned to the Stars’ line-up later in the BBL, smashing a 121-metre six to help his side claim a victory over the Renegades in the Melbourne derby.

Another nasty incident came when Sydney Thunder teammates Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams collided as they both ran and attempted to take a catch.

Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams of the Thunder collide while attempting to catch the ball. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Sams was coming in from the boundary at high speed when he crashed into Bancroft, who ran in from another direction to claim the catch after Perth’s Cooper Connolly skied a ball high in the air.

Bancroft sustained a fractured shoulder and broken nose in a brutal end way to end his summer. Sams was concussed and suffered a side strain in the same match.

Despite the incident, the Thunder have impressed all season long to finish second on the ladder as they chase their first BBL title since the 2015-16 season.

Screamers in the field, dad’s wild crowd catch

There was no shortage of stunning catches during the Big Bash.

Glenn Maxwell’s juggling effort over the boundary rope has to be seen to be believed.

The Big Show proved he’s one of Australia’s best fielders.

Renegades skipper Will Sutherland produced one of the most acrobatic grabs ever when he launched off the ground and reeled in a one-handed specky that had commentators calling it one of the best catches of all time.

But spare a thought for Adelaide Strikers bowler Liam Haskett, who experienced the ignominy of his dad catching a six in the crowd off his son’s bowling.

Haskett debuted for Adelaide and was on the wrong end of some power Heat hitting.

Early in the Heat innings, Haskett was smashed for a maximum by former Test opener Nathan McSweeney, with the ball impressively caught by a crowd member.

Much later in the innings, when Haskett was about to begin his third over, Fox Cricket’s Adam Gilchrist notified audiences that McSweeney’s earlier six had been caught by none other than Haskett’s father Lloyd.

“That man there is Liam Haskett’s dad,” Gilchrist said over a replay of the crowd catch.

“He sat back there and did not look thrilled at all. He played it very cool that we just thought he was a cool customer but he was so disappointed that his son on debut had just been dispatched.”

“No way. That must be the first time ever,” Michael Vaughan added.

Seagull bites the dust

Seagulls love the MCG, but they might not anymore after one bird came off second best to an English star’s powerful batting.

A swarm of seagulls descended onto the field during the Sydney Sixers’ run chase against the Melbourne with one unable to avoid James Vince’s shot down the ground.

As his ball sailed through the air it came down just inside the boundary rope and landed flush on the unsuspecting seagull.

The ball bounced off the bird and over the boundary rope as a hush fell over the ground.

“Oh no, oh no. We’ve been talking about it all night. Gilly you said something would happen. Hopefully S Gull is OK,” Mark Howard said on Fox Cricket.

Englishman Ben Duckett was mic’d up and happened to be fielding near where the incident unfolded.

“He didn’t look in a good way there,” Duckett said shortly after. “I think he’s dead.”

A security guard then entered the field to remove the seagull before the commentators asked Duckett what happened from his point of view.

“It didn’t look too nice, it actually hit him so hard,” Duckett said.

“Now I’m absolutely swarmed by them. I’ve never fielded like this when I’ve got all of this going on in front of me.”

England great tries on baggy green

Michael Vaughan was stitched up his co-commentators Adam Gilchrist and Mark Howard, when he was made to wear a baggy green in the commentary box.

Gilchrist couldn’t contain his glee as the former England captain perched the Aussie cap on his head.

BBL|14 Finals

The Qualifier: Hobart Hurricanes (1) v Sydney Sixers (2), Tuesday, January 21, 7:30pm AEDT, Ninja Stadium.

The Knockout: Sydney Thunder (3) v Melbourne Stars (4), Wednesday, January 22, 7:30pm AEDT, ENGIE Stadium.

The Challenger: Loser of The Qualifier v winner of The Knockout, Friday, January 24, 7:15pm AEDT, venue TBC.

The Final: Winner of The Qualifier v winner of The Challenger, Monday, January 27, 7:15pm AEDT, venue TBC.

Originally published as Siddle’s 148km/h rocket, seagull, classic catches: Best viral moments from BBL|14