Big Bash Daily: X Factor substitutes finally rolled out as Adelaide Strikers ease past Hobart Hurricanes

Danny Briggs and Johan Botha became the first players to withdrawn midway through a match as part of the competition's new raft of innovations

Arrival of the X-Factor

The dubious honour belongs to Danny Briggs and Johan Botha: the first two men substituted out of their starting XIs at the 10-over mark of the first innings of their Big Bash encounter on Tuesday.

The rule – one of several innovations introduced by the competition ahead of its tenth year – had been ignored through the first seven games of the season. Teams, instead, have chosen to remain loyal to their selections, perhaps also unconvinced by the match-changing potential of those in reserve.

At least, that was the case until today, when Briggs and Botha were hauled off. For Briggs, the ignominy was greater: he had bowled a solitary over at a cost of 15 runs when he was replaced by Matthew Short, continuing an unusually poor start to life at Adelaide Strikers for the T20 Blast’s all-time leading wicket-taker.

Botha, meanwhile, is out of retirement for this year’s tournament and was still waiting to bat when he was culled for Hobart Hurricanes batsman Mac Wright. At that stage, they were in the midst of a recovery from an abject start that had seen them fall to 20 for 3. He might have been missed with the ball, as Will Jacks and D’Arcy Short sent down just three overs between them at a cost of 27 runs.

Ultimately, Matthew Short bowled one wicketless over and was dismissed first ball with the bat, while Wright made 15 in a losing cause for Hobart.

“On that wicket I thought it was going to be difficult chasing,” explained Strikers captain Alex Carey. “To have that extra batter was going to be more important than having that extra finger spinner.

“I think we summed it pretty well. It's never easy for a guy to be subbed out of the game but Briggsy took it really well. It was my decision. I had it in the back of my mind if we were bowling first. I went with my gut and I was happy with how it all turned out.”

^{Johan Botha was substituted before taking any part in the game}

A career-best outing for Peter Siddle

Steaming in with bleached white hair, Peter Siddle looked as threatening as ever, leading the seam attack for Adelaide Strikers.

He will most certainly take better five-wicket hauls than this, with his scalps in Launceston including a legside strangle and a deflection from pad onto stumps.

However, it was a match-winning effort, nonetheless. The wicket of D’Arcy Short in the second over immediately stunted any thoughts of a fast start, before Siddle returned at the death to remove one-time finisher-supreme James Faulkner and Tim David, who had played so well in Hurricanes’ first win against Sydney Sixers.

5-16! 💪

Career-best T20 figures for Peter Siddle! 👍#BBL10pic.twitter.com/DX4GfPq1pY

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) December 15, 2020

Physical distancing duo fined

Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have each been fined after breaching Covid-19 protocols set out for the Big Bash.

Lynn, Brisbane Heat captain, and Lawrence, one of the team’s overseas players, have both accepted fines worth AU$10,000 (£5,640), of which AU$4,000 (£2,260) will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.

The sanctions relate to an incident in Canberra on Saturday evening when the two players came into close contact with members of the public; a selfie that appeared on social media involving the players and fans reportedly prompted the initial investigation.

Both men were subsequently permitted to play against Sydney Thunder, albeit while retaining physical distance from their teammates.

Brisbane Heat have also been fined to the tune of AU$50,000 (£28,270), with AU$20,000 (£11,310) suspended for the rest of the campaign. They were found to have breached four sections of the Covid-19 directive for state associations and BBL teams.

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