Struggling Renegades to back in young guns

Cellar-dwellers Melbourne Renegades have accepted finals are out of reach once again, with Sam Harper suggesting the onus is now on the current crop of players to revitalise the club for this season and beyond.

The Renegades will need a major turnaround in form in their three remaining games if they are to avoid a second consecutive wooden spoon after slumping to their ninth defeat of BBL|10 against cross-town rivals Melbourne Stars on Sunday evening.

Aaron Finch’s lean trot continued after Glenn Maxwell clean bowled him on the second ball of the game, with his exit setting the tone for their defeat despite Harper’s promising 52-ball 63 and two late Kane Richardson wickets that sparked a brief Stars stumble.

The club have won just five of 25 games since Michael Klinger took over from Andrew McDonald as coach following their BBL08 title.

But a list overhaul would appear fanciful.

The bulk of their squad is understood to be locked in for BBL11, though the Renegades did show last year players under contract can be moved with Daniel Christian and Jack Wildermuth both agreeing to departures despite having time to run on their existing deals.

Harper, 24, suggested the current team could hardly get much younger, with Jake Fraser-McGurk (18-year-old), Mackenzie Harvey (20) joining him in the middle order on Sunday, while Will Sutherland (21), Peter Hatzoglou (22) and import Noor Ahmad (16) are all playing key roles with the ball.

Pacemen Mitch Perry (20), Zak Evans (20) and Jack Prestwidge (24) have also been handed opportunities this season, while Victorian Premier gun Brayden Stepien (23) and Brody Couch (21) are waiting in the wings. 

“I don’t know if we need any more youngsters, our average age is in the low-twenties as it is,” said Harper. 

“For us we’ve got a fairly similar squad moving forward. It’s the same as last year – we’ve been in games, we just haven’t won them. There’s always plenty to play for. 

“For us young guys, playing in the BBL was what we dreamed of five years ago so you won’t see us not loving it. 

“And then for the older boys, Finchy and Marshy (Shaun Marsh) and co. they’re true professionals and keen to make runs. There’s a lot to play for.”

The Renegades have had mixed returns from their overseas players. Imad Wasim has been their most economical bowler and Mohammad Nabi played a match-winning hand in one of their two victories. 

But Imran Tahir’s late decision to pull out of his deal has been felt with Noor picking up just two wickets in six games in his stead. 

A saving grace has been the unexpected form of Peter Hatzoglou, who has been plucked out of club cricket and now bowls many of the tougher Powerplay overs. Only gun quick Kane Richardson has more wickets than his 13. 

The Renegades were pummelled for three of the six biggest defeats in BBL history earlier in the tournament but have since lost a handful of games in much tighter contests.

“There only so many times you can lose close ones,” said Harper. 

“We’ve got three games left and it’s probably not realistic for us to make the finals with our ladder position now. 

“We’ve got a young side, a young batting line up but we come here to win so it’s disappointing.”

Finch is averaging just 15.90 for the tournament after his duck against the Stars, but Harper insisted it would be foolish to write off a man with 19 international centuries to his name. 

The wicketkeeper pointed out Finch, who has suggested he has been too defensive at times this season, was unluckily out in consecutive games caught down the leg-side and run out at the non-striker’s end.

“You can’t say a bad word about his batting,” said Harper. “It’s just one of those runs. 

“People can be pretty quick to forget he got ‘ratted’ off the bowler’s hand and then caught down the leg-side, and they see them as two failures, but he did nothing wrong those two games. 

“Cricket can catch up with you pretty quick, especially with a four-over Powerplay, sometimes you’re going to get out. Hopefully he can turn it on the next three games.”