CommBank MyCricket Legends: Baz's BBL tune-up

Brisbane Heat recruit Brendon McCullum has tuned up for the KFC Big Bash League in style with a couple of lusty blows in a Queensland Premier Cricket T20 game on Sunday.

McCullum announced his arrival on Australian shores in a hit-out for Ipswich-Logan Cricket Club in Brisbane, striking a quick-fire 36 off 22 balls.

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Standing out in his bright blue Heat helmet, the former New Zealand captain found the boundary five times for the Hornets as they set Northern Suburbs a competitive target of 131.

With a trademark skip down the wicket, he smashed of one his two sixes with a towering strike over mid-wicket that had McCullum, the bowler and fielders all gaping in awe.

But the 35-year-old’s knock wasn’t enough for Ipswich, as dumped Test opener and McCullum’s Heat teammate Joe Burns struck a composed a half-century to get Northern Suburbs over the line.

Ipswich player-coach Geoff Paulsen said McCullum had imparted plenty of wisdom on his new teammates.

"It was a good thing for the boys to see how he goes about his cricket,'' Paulsen told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

"His thinking and the way he conducts himself.

"He played a big role out in the field, helping out with field positions and lines.

"He just fit in really well. He's been one of the boys.''

McCullum wasn’t the only big-hitter in grade cricket action over the weekend, as Glenn Maxwell turned out for his Victorian Premier Cricket side Fitzroy-Doncaster.

The destructive allrounder, who was in Australia’s squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series but wasn’t selected to play in any of three ODIs, belted 72 off just 64 balls for the Lions.

Maxwell sent four sixes flying over the rope at Kingston-Hawthorn’s Walter Galt Reserve to help the Lions to 3-150, which saw them notch first-innings points.

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Fitzroy-Doncaster had earlier bowled out the Hawks for 136, with Maxwell sending down three wicketless overs for 22 runs.

In local cricket ranks, there were a couple of remarkable wicket-taking feats from the weekend.

Firstly in country Victoria, Murchison’s clash with Old Students CC saw not one, but two hat-tricks claimed in the same match.

Murchison’s Darryn Rowney kicked things off by picking up 6-2 from 6.1 tidy overs, with his three scalps in consecutive balls instigating a dramatic collapse of 7-4.

And Old Students sixth-change bowler Aman Bawa repeated the effort, claiming a hat-trick and perhaps had good cause to tell his skipper he should have bowled a little earlier, as Murchison wrapped up a comfortable win despite Bawa’s heroics.

Image Id: C529ED113BE448BAB2ECB3050D94C668 Image Caption: North Whyalla's Richard Paynter took five wickets in six balls // Matt Quist

Meanwhile, North Whyalla’s Richard Paynter outdid them all, taking a double hat-trick (four wickets in four balls). He missed out on a triple, but then snared another the following delivery to end up with five victims in six balls.

Paynter finished with 6-13 from nine overs to help North Whyalla record a 105-run win over Westlands. 

MEN’S PREMIER CRICKET TOP FIVE

Image Id: 7BF579385B74446EA56637C07445DF85 Image Caption: Melbourne University's Isaiah Borgas struck his maiden Victorian Premier Cricket ton on Saturday // Arj Giese

1. Isaiah Borgas 155* Melbourne University VIC 

2. Ben Martin 6-22 Parramatta NSW 

3. Nicholas Ross 130* Carlton VIC 

4. Riley Meredith 6-35 Clarence TAS              

5. Zac Howard 6-39 Midland Guildford WA 

WOMEN’S PREMIER CRICKET TOP FIVE

Image Id: 7E253830CB5B44D4A671EDE2569AE389 Image Caption: Northern Districts' Neisha Iles claimed 6-29 over the weekend in South Australia // Getty

1. Neisha Iles 6-29 Northern Districts SA 

2. Hannah Trollip 109* Gordon Womens NSW 

3. Isobel Joyce 83* South Hobart Sandy Bay TAS 

4. Mikayla Hinkley 73* Penrith NSW 

5. Kathleen Hempenstall 61* & 2-25 Prahran VIC 

 

 

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