The most watched moments of BBL|06

10. Leaping Laughlin lands a screamer

Adelaide Strikers seamer Ben Laughlin took a bow (well, was it a bow?) after this one, and rightly so! With the Melbourne Renegades flying at 0-55 in the final over of the powerplay, skipper Aaron Finch miscued one from Michael Neser high over the off-side. From mid-off, Laughlin took off in pursuit but it looked to be landing just outside his grasp, before a full-stretch dive helped him haul in the stunning catch.

9. KP reels in 'one of the great catches'

Dubbed ‘the catch of 2017’ by Channel 10 commentator Damien Fleming (on the first day of the New Year, mind you), Kevin Pietersen’s effort was pure theatrics. Again it was a Renegades opener on the wrong end on a bit of brilliance from a mid-off fielder. While KP’s effort may not quite have matched Laughlin’s for pure athleticism, his composure and self-deprecation from a “rubbish” fielder make it must-watch.

8. Zampa gets run-out, breaks bat

Ricky Ponting just about did it all in his playing career but this was a first even for him. After Melbourne Stars allrounder Marcus Stoinis worked one away on the leg-side, Adam Zampa pushed for a second but was sent back, leaving him stranded. The Renegades completed a simple run out leaving Zampa fuming, with the leg-spinner taking out his frustration on his redundant piece of willow and splitting it into two. Much to the amusement of his Stars teammates!

7. Whiteman's brilliant BBL run out

Who said wicketkeepers can’t throw? Sydney Thunder tearaway Pat Cummins fell victim to one of the best pieces of fielding you’ll see from the Perth Scorchers gloveman Sam Whiteman. After skying one into a leg-side gap off Mitch Marsh, Cummins ambitiously turned for a second to get back on strike. But quick as a flash, Whiteman got to the ball and hit the pegs with just one stump to aim at from a decent distance to all but confirm victory for the hosts.

6. Finch bowls dramatic final over at Etihad

An absolute thriller. With the Renegades a bowler short after import Dwayne Bravo went down with a season-ending hamstring injury, Finch brought himself on to deliver the crunch final-over with the Scorchers needing 11 to win, with a set Mitch Marsh on strike. And it looked a masterstroke when the part-timer dismissed Marsh then ran out Adam Voges with a brilliant direct-hit run out in successive balls. But Ashton Agar stepped up, clubbing the last ball of the match for six to stun the Etihad crowd.

5. Johnson's semi-final triple-strike

The lethal left-armer's international days are done but in full rhythm and with a parochial full house behind him in the first semi-final of BBL|06, there were shades – burnt orange shades – of that glorious summer of 2013-14 when he owned the Ashes. Johnson finished with the quite astonishing figures of 3-3 from four overs, including a double-wicket maiden to kick-start the match and 21 dot balls, earning the record for the most economical completed spell in BBL history. And they weren't tailenders he was dismissing; openers Rob Quiney and Luke Wright both went for ducks with the first and fourth balls of the innings, before No.3 Kevin Pietersen clipped a ball to Michael Klinger at midwicket to depart for five. By the time he collected his cap at the end of his fourth over, he'd left an indelible mark on the contest.

4. Tait's 148kph stump-smasher delays game

Is there a better sight for a fast bowler than middle stump out of the ground? After copping some early punishment, Shaun Tait returned with a bang, sending a searing 148kph yorker to remove Sixers import Sam Billings’ middle peg.  In addition to obliterating the timber, he destroyed the stump camera and causing a lengthy delay to the game. Talk about inconsiderate, Taity! 

3. Nevill struck in face by bat

A freak accident sent Renegades wicketkeeper Peter Nevill to hospital, though thankfully the damage wasn’t as bad as initially feared. With Nevill standing back to Thisara Perera, Brad Hodge swung lustily away to the leg side, accidentally losing his grip on the bat and sending the willow sailing towards Nevill. Oblivious to the incoming missile, the top of the handle struck him on the right jawline, causing him to tumble to the ground. He missed the ‘Gades final match of BBL|06 but was on track to recover in time for NSW’s first Sheffield Shield back after the competition’s break.

2. Lynn takes Scorchers to cleaner with 11 sixes!

We all knew about Chris Lynn’s ability to clear the pickets and smash sixes, but this was just something else. The right-hander unleashed an unbelievable onslaught against the Scorchers, sending 11 sixes into a conflicted WACA crowd, the biggest of which landed on the roof of the Lillee Marsh stand where it stayed. Lynn finished with 98 from 49 balls and you can only wonder at what might have been possible if Brisbane had batted first.

1. Lynn hits one out of the Gabba!

Even the straight-faced Lynn managed a little smirk after this colossal strike. With the Bash Bros in full swing on their home turf, the big-hitting BBL sensation lined up a length ball from speedster Shaun Tait, aimed over midwicket and timed it to perfection. The staggering 121-metre blow cleared the rope, the fence, all three tiers of the Gabba and quite possibly Queensland’s border with NSW.