Another BBL game, another monster six that ended up on the roof of a stadium.
Melbourne Renegades star Andre Russell almost sent a cricket ball onto Moorabool St in Geelong on Wednesday night after pulling off a perfect stroke amid utter BBL chaos.
Russell came to the wicket with his Renegades 4-9 after Brisbane Heat paceman Michael Neser tore through the top order, taking a hat-trick across his first and second overs.
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Neser lands first BBL 12 HATTY | 01:06
Neser narrowly missed out on taking four wickets in four balls after a full ball seamed back sharply and passed the outside edge of Russell’s bat.
Two more dot balls followed, meaning Neser was on the verge of a double-wicket maiden – or better – before Russell produced a gobsmacking strike.
Neser pitched the ball up to Russell, who smashed the ball not only over the mid-wicket rope for six, but onto the top of the Reg Hickey grandstand. Replays showed the ball almost hit the ‘d’ on the GMHBA Stadium sign.
While a cool Russell smiled quickly realising what he’d achieved, fans and commentators were left stunned.
“It’s on the roof!” Fox Crickets Brendon Julian said.
“What about the Big Bash!
“That is a huge hit. It’s a cracking over, but that is a cracking finish (by Russell).
“How well did he hit that? Right out of the middle of the bat. Absolutely smoked that.”
It meant the fourth umpire had to bring out a new box of balls to replace the one Russell had sent onto the streets of Geelong.
Russell, who sits third on the list for all-time sixes in T20 matches behind Chris Gayle and Kyle Pollard, continued his power hitting over the following overs, smashing Neser for two more sixes before sending delivers from Mitch Swepson and James Bazley into the grandstand.
“He’s just such a powerful stroke-maker. Good bat speed,” Aussie great Brett Lee said.
Russell then brought up his first BBL 50 with his sixth six, slogging heat spinner Matt Kuhnemann over mid-wicket.
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Asked what you say to a player like Russell that’s hitting the ball so cleanly, Renegades coach David Saker told Fox Cricket: “You just want him to stay to his strengths. Keep looking to hit the ball down the ground.
“A couple of shots he’d tried to get quite cute, so stick to your strengths. “But it’s a hell of an entertaining innings so far.”
MORE TO COME
