Sam Konstas was dismissed for a duck in his last match before a potential debut, while fans expressed their anger at the state of a poor Big Bash outfield.
With Australian teenage star Sam Konstas getting a much-anticipated call-up to the Australian Test team for the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there were plenty of eyes on his last outing ahead of him joining up with the national team for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Sam Konstas was dismissed for a duck in the Sydney Derby between the Thunder and the Sixers.(Getty Images)
Konstas was involved in the Sydney Derby between his Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, in a thriller of a contest that went down to the very last ball before the Sixers pulled off an unlikely win. Unfortunately for Konstas, it was a disappointing day out in a big match, as he chopped one onto the stumps off the bowling of Akeal Hosein to be dismissed for a duck.
The teenager from New South Wales had enjoyed success in the first match of the Thunder’s tournament, becoming their fastest-ever half-centurion against the Adelaide Strikers with a 20-ball 50, scoring all across the ground and showing his inventive nature with bat in hand. However, he wasn’t able to repeat the feat this time out.
Konstas will be stepping in to replace Nathan McSweeney, who was axed from the squad after only three matches, failing to back up his selection with any score of significance in the series.
Fans outraged at state of Sydney Showgrounds outfield
Although the match was of the highest quality, with Ben Dwarshuis of the Sixers hitting a six when seven were needed of the last two deliveries, fans watching the match were appalled and caught off-guard by the state of the pitch at the Sydney Showgrounds, which hosts the home games for the Thunder.
Images captured from the broadcast and the stands showed a ground that was patchy and of a poor quality, not up to the standards usually seen and expected at pristine Australian cricket grounds. Fans expected a higher standard of production for the Big Bash, which is meant to be Australian cricket’s big money franchise league, but didn’t do itself any favours with a poor outfield for one of the most-watched matches season over season.
Ultimately, the Sixers pulled off the win and go to the top of the table with two wins in two tight matches. It has been a pair of thrillers for the Thunder as well, who took until the final over of the match against the Strikers to chase down the target as well. The Sydney team in green now stands at a record of one win and one loss, at sixth place on the table.
