Ellis last night showed he has ice in his veins to drag the Hurricanes across the line

Death bowling specialist Nathan Ellis believes being thrown into the deep end of the Big Bash’s most difficult overs has allowed him to grow on the run.

DEATH bowling specialist Nathan Ellis believes being thrown into the deep end of the Big Bash’s most difficult overs has allowed him to grow on the run.

A tournament ending side strain to speedster Riley Meredith and the potential loss of James Faulkner (calf) for the remainder of the campaign has thrust the rest of Hobart’s attack into the limelight.

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Ellis has stepped up to shoulder a much larger workload in both the powerplay and the closing overs, and last night showed he has ice in his veins to drag the Hurricanes across the line against the Melbourne Renegades and keep their BBL|09 season alive.

Nathan Ellis of the Hurricanes and Sam Harper of the Renegades collide during the Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Renegades and the Hobart Hurricanes at Marvel Stadium on January 21, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Luke Hemer/Getty Images)

After coughing up 20 runs from his previous over – the 18th of the match – when Mohammad Nabi launched consecutive sixes into the stands, Ellis was left with 11 runs to defend with his final six deliveries.

Tasmanian teammate Beau Webster struck the first for a double to bring up his half century before being caught at deep square on the next, putting the dangerous Dan Christian on strike with the equation nine runs from four balls.

Beau Webster of Melbourne Renegades batting during the Big Bash League (BBL) cricket match between the Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Tuesday, January 21, 2020. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair)

Ellis belied his relative inexperience, holding his nerve to land three yorkers as well as a perfectly executed slower ball to close out a four run victory in thrilling fashion.

“There was only one ball I wasn’t happy with that got hit for six but in turn you have got to put it down to a couple of good shots, a world class player in Nabi,” Ellis said of his 18th over which swung the momentum to the Renegades.

“I knew if I could stick to what I was planning to do and execute I would be in the game at least.

“It is a high pressure situation, you just have to try and come out the nice end of it.

“It has been one of those things, I haven’t had the chance to think about it too much, which I think has been good.

“I have been thrown in the deep end and you either sink or swim.”

Having burst onto the scene with a five wicket haul against a star studded NSW side in the One Day Cup earlier in the season, Ellis has ridden the momentum into his debut BBL tournament.

“One of the things I’m really proud of at the moment is taking each game as it comes, executing what I can and the biggest thing for me that I’ve learned so far is your good balls can go for six as well.

“You are playing against some good batters, the best bowlers who succeed are the ones who can brush it off and bowl that next ball as if the last ball was a dot or a wicket.”