Sometimes, in the shortest format, cricket becomes just too much for bowlers. Australian pacer Riley Meredith was at the receiving end of the harsher side on Thursday during a game in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) when he ended up conceding 17 runs just in one legal delivery. The Hobart Hurricanes bowler was severely disappointed by the show even though his team eventually won the game by 16 runs over Melbourne Renegades.
It was the final home match for the Hurricanes in this BBL season and they put up a score of 183 for 6 after the Renegades won the toss and chose to bowl. Meredith then came to bowl the first over of the Renegades innings and his world turned upside down from the fourth delivery onwards. The 22-year-old Tasmania bowler started off with a lot of pace and gave just one run in his first three balls.
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Riley then overstepped in his fourth delivery bowled to Renegades skipper Aaron Finch and then in the free hit that followed, bowled a wide ball down the leg that was missed by the wicket-keeper and went for four runs. He delivered the next ball but that was a no ball again and hit by Finch to the fine leg boundary, thanks to an inside edge. The next ball was a clear hit to the mid-off boundary by Finch but to the fielding side’s shocker, Meredith had bowled another no ball!
Here is the video of the same:
17 runs… FROM ONE BALL 😳
This Bucket Ball bonanza was the worst start to the innings the Hurricanes could imagine.@KFCAustralia | #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/FfS7svQXpm
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 7, 2019
The free-hit saga continued into the next ball and this time, Riley Meredith managed to produce a legal delivery as Finch dug one out to the leg side and complete a quick single. The next delivery also went for a run as Marcus Harris played one down the deep third man. There was a mix-up but the throw went to the wrong end. The next ball again went for four leg byes and the keeper couldn’t stop the one angling down the leg side. Overall, 23 runs came in that over.
Meredith ended up giving 43 runs in three overs in the match and took one wicket. His opening partner Jofra Archer did a lot of make-up by conceding just 19 runs in four overs and scalped 2 wickets. The Renegades finished at 167 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs and this win meant the Hurricanes will end up as the league toppers with one more game to spare.
