Fan favourite Matthew Wade has suffered a tough setback and was unable to finish the BBL match in the Hobart Hurricanes’ six-wicket loss to the Melbourne Renegades as the franchise recorded their lowest ever total. Wade, who recently retired from the national white-ball team, was speaking to the Fox Sports commentary team and admitted he felt his calf go during Melbourne’s innings.
Wade was behind the stumps and in stoic fashion the wicketkeeper refused to leave mid-over. “Ben (McDermott’s) got to go get his gear on for a start … and I don’t really want to stop the game and embarrass myself. We’ll see how we go!” Wade said.
While he was upbeat about the injury, the Hobart star could be set to spend time on the sideline after being forced out of the game. “We’ve got a short turnaround so whether I miss the next one, and then we don’t play again until the 27th (of December),” Wade told Fox Cricket post-match.
“One (match) at worst, I’m hoping, but we’ll wait and see, get a scan. Hopefully it’s just a strain, that would be best-case scenario.” And Wade’s injury will only compound the Hurricanes’ woes after putting up the 10th worst total of all time in the BBL having only reached 74.
Hobart Hurricanes slammed for poor display
Wade was the first player out at the GMHBA Stadium and it prompted a horror collapse for the Hurricanes. Hobart were 8-40 at one stage and only managed to reach 74 because Nathan Ellis put on 35 runs in 29 balls.
Melbourne cruised to victory in just nine overs with six wickets to spare. New Zealander Renegades star Tim Seifert was the star of the show having belted an unbeaten 37 The total marked the lowest in the Hobart Hurricanes’ history having fallen well short of their previous low benchmark of 91 set against the Sydney Sixers back in 2015.
Fans were left baffled at the total and called out the spectacle with only 22 overs bowled in the whole match. Others felt it was bizarre Wade wasn’t pulled straight from the field with McDermott fumbling around when trying to replace the 36-year-old wicketkeeper. Wade admitted the Hurricanes will need to analyse what went wrong in one of the franchise’s worst ever defeats.
So Matthew Wade has been out there for about 2 overs with a potentially disastrous calf injury and they haven’t been able to get him off because the Hurricanes can’t find the substitute’s keeping gear… is this professional cricket or not? #BBL14
— HeartOfARavenclaw (@RavenHeart198) December 19, 2024
So this game is effectively over and we aren’t even 5 overs in #BBL
The shorter the format, the bigger the potential blowout— daniel (@DHikisz) December 19, 2024
Despite Nathan Ellis’ valiant 35-run cameo, that was the Hobart Hurricanes’ lowest-ever #BBL score in 14 seasons — scoring just 74 tonight against the Melbourne Renegades.
Eclipses their previous worst total of 91 against the Sydney Sixers all the way back in 2015 @FoxCricket
— Will Faulkner (@willzfaulk) December 19, 2024
Oh such a pathetic team Hobart Hurricane 32-6 out#BBL
— NainaSingh 🇮🇳 (@NainaS771) December 19, 2024
Lowest BBL totals
15 – Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers, 2022-23
57 – Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars, 2014-15
60 – Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Sixers, 2020-21
61 – Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers, 2021-22
62 – Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers, 2022-23
68 – Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars, 2020-21
69 – Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, 2012-13
73 – Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers, 2017-18
74 – Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars, 2018-19
74 – Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades, 2024-25
