Twelve seasons in and the BBL is still producing bizarre, never-before-seen things on a cricket field.
Melbourne Renegades star Nic Maddinson was called back to the middle of Cazaly’s Stadium on Thursday night after a third umpire review confirmed he hadn’t been dismissed hit wicket — despite “spooky” timing that seemed to suggest the left-hander had stood on his stumps.
Maddinson produced a blistering start to his BBL knock against the Brisbane Heat, consistently finding the boundary rope to set the tone for the Renegades at the top of the order.
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But the Renegades captain was left flabbergasted midway through the ninth over. After middling a pull shot behind square leg off the bowling of Brisbane quick Mark Steketee, Maddinson turned around to see the wickets lit up and one bail on the ground.
A stunned Maddinson began walking off the ground before replays showed the batter’s feet and bat — as well as the ball itself — were nowhere near the stumps when he played the shot. Instead, the bail had mysteriously dislodged on its own.
“Oh what’s happened there? What’s it come off? The bails have just come off,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith told Fox Cricket.
“All I can think is when his back foot swivelled round and made contact with the ground, it shook the ground. Maybe it wasn’t that stable, because it looked when he put that back foot down closest to the stumps, the bail fell off.
“Who knows? Spooky.”
Upon looking at replays, TV umpire Stephen Dionysius said he was “satisfied the batter hasn’t dislodged the bails” and gave Maddinson not out.
“I don’t think it’s come off anything. I think he’s OK,” former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian told Fox Cricket.
“I’ve never seen that before, especially the timing of it when he’d just hit the ball.
“That is unbelievable. I’ve never seen that at all.
“It’s certainly a bit of an illusion. But it’s good news for the Renegades because Maddinson is still there.”
Maddinson then linked up with star import Andre Russell to put together a big 78-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Promoted to opener, Maddinson destroyed the Heat bowling attack, striking the ball cleanly to all parts of the ground.
The 30-year-old took a particular liking to Brisbane‘s Xavier Bartlett, taking 21 runs off the third over for the innings before smashing 22 runs – including five boundaries – in the 13th over.
Maddinson was then dismissed in the 18th over for a BBL career-best 87 off just 49 balls – an innings that included 10 fours and three sixes – as the Renegades finished their 20 overs with 7-166.
