Rauf’s BBL journey ends as Hurricanes pounce on Stars in a rain-hit game

Haris Rauf’s stay at the Big Bash League (BBL) has ended as his team, Melbourne Stars, lost the plot in the Knockout game against Hobart Hurricanes. Rain episodes throughout the game kept chipping away at the overs, reducing them to ten per side at first, and then eventually leaving the Stars with only seven overs to chase the adjusted target. 

Haris’ top of the charts season

Pakistan pacer bagged a couple of scalps in his two-over quota, which would have been three had Tom Curran not put down a solid chance. 

After striking in his first over, Haris returned to set up Hobart’s Nikhil Chaudhary, but Curran’s drop gave him an extra life. Nikhil then proceeded to smash two back-to-back sixes. But Haris had the last laugh as he brought a slower one to his advantage on the next ball, grabbing his second of the day.

Haris Rauf ends as the highest wicket-getter of the BBL|15 so far, having taken 20 wickets in eleven games. The nearest to him among the bowlers from the surviving teams is Sydney Sixers’ Jack Edwards, with 17 wickets and at least one more game left to play. 

Hobart keep title defence alive

Hobart set a 115-run target, which was later adjusted due to rain to 85 in seven overs. This seemed a tough ask as before rain hit for the second time, the Stars were 9 for 1 after two overs. 

However, by the time the last over came, they were just 26 runs away from victory. Cartwright took the chase to the last ball, with the Stars just 6 runs short. However, those runs never came, eventually giving Hobart’s defence campaign a renewed hope. 

 

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