BBL 2019/20 28th Match: Rauf’s sensational hat-trick helps Stars silence the Thunder

Posted on by
Haris Rauf hat-trick Melbourne Stars Sydney Thunder Big Bash League BBL 28th Match cricket

Haris Rauf was named Man of the Match for his brilliant hat-trick

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan seamer Haris Rauf took an incredible hat-trick as the Melbourne Stars beat the Sydney Thunder by six wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Being put in to bat first, the Thunder got off to a strong start as Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales amassed a 56-run partnership before Khawaja was dismissed by Nathan Coulter-Nile for 33.

Hales went on to score 26 before he was removed by Adam Zampa.

Captain Callum Ferguson and Matthew Gilkes stabilised the innings with an 83-run stand before Gilkes was caught by Sandeep Lamichhane at deep fine leg off the bowling of Haris Rauf for a 35-ball 41, which included a boundary and two sixes.

Ferguson was clean bowled by Rauf for 35 the very next ball, and the Pakistan pace bowler completed his hat-trick by trapping Daniel Sams lbw for a golden duck.

As a result of Rauf’s incredible hat-trick, the Thunder finished on 145/5 off their 20 overs.

Rauf was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Coulter-Nile and Zampa chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 146 to win, the Stars lost opener Nic Maddinson in the fourth over as he was run out for 13.

Coulter-Nile made 11 runs before being dismissed by Sams, while Nick Larkin mustered six runs before he was clean bowled by Nair.

Marcus Stoinis and captain Glenn Maxwell stabilised the innings with a 43-run partnership, during which Stoinis brought up his fifty, before he was caught by Chris Morris at long-off off the bowling of Jonathan Cook for a 44-ball 50, which included four boundaries and a six.

Maxwell finished things off for the Stars with his unbeaten knock of 59, which came off 37 balls and included eight boundaries and a six.

Sams, Cook and Nair claimed one wicket each.

Rauf was named Man of the Match.

Leave a Reply