Ferguson backs Finch to bounce back

It's been a rollercoaster summer for Melbourne Renegades skipper Aaron Finch but on Tuesday night the hard-hitting opener levelled out and levelled the Sydney Thunder. 

Finch hit a bruising 54 from 38 balls in the Renegades’ 12-run KFC BBL win over the Thunder in Sydney, a knock that featured two fours and four mighty sixes including monster hit that soared out of Spotless Stadium.

Last night's innings represents Finch's highest score on Australian soil this summer across Test, ODI, T20I and Big Bash cricket. 

The Victorian's lean trot with the bat has seen him dropped from the Test team, while his returns at one-day international level – 83 runs in six innings this summer – has the national limited-overs captain hungry for a big score with only 10 ODIs left before Australia's World Cup campaign begins.

Despite the low run of scores, Finch has the backing of former Renegades teammate and Thunder rival, Callum Ferguson, who witnessed Finch in full flight from close proximity.

"When Aaron Finch is playing good cricket it certainly makes for some headaches for the opposition, there's no doubt about it," Ferguson said. 

"If we can get him back in to some good nick going into the next World Cup that would be a real win for us. 

"Certainly, I'm expecting him to bounce back hard. 

"Finchy is a fantastic cricketer."

But more than the runs, Ferguson says the way Finch has conducted himself since he was axed for the upcoming two-match Domain Test Series against Sri Lanka impressed him most.

"I've got a lot of admiration for the way he's handled himself throughout the last few weeks," Ferguson said. 

"It's never nice being left out of a side. 

"He's kept his head up, he's always a very strong player and someone who won't let something like that get him down too much. 

"He'll get on with it."