Winter Watch: Hants Batsmen Old and New to Clash in Big Bash Final

Katich, Lumb and Thornely could all play a part

Hampshire’s overseas signing for the 2012 campaign Simon Katich could come up against two other batsmen to have graced The Rose Bowl in the final of Australia’s Twenty20 “Big Bash” competition.

His Perth Scorchers side will take on a Sydney Sixers team for which former Hants players Michael Lumb and Dominic Thornely now ply their trade.

Katich got there in the early hours of Saturday morning by knocking out yet another Rose Bowl hero, Shane Warne in the semi final. The Scorchers defeated Warne’s Melbourne Stars by eleven runs.

Although neither man shone, Katich did dismiss Melbourne captain Cameron White by catching the influential batsman while only on 14. He wasn’t required to bat or bowl.

Warne, meanwhile, ended with figures of 4-0-29-0.

In the other semi final, Lumb missed out leaving Thornely as the main Hampshire interest. He finished the game nine not out with the bat and with figures of 0-15 off his two overs as the Sixers beat the Hobart Hurricanes by seven runs.

Elsewhere, the England Lions drew their two-match Twenty20 Series with Bangladesh A 1-1 having lost the by eleven runs in the early hours of Monday morning.

Hampshire batsman James Vince was rested but colleague Danny Briggs did feature and, despite struggling with the ball (0-33 off his four overs), the 19 year old did smash 10 off just six balls in an unsuccessful effort to chase down Bangladesh’s 166.

Both Vince and Briggs will now move on to Sri Lanka ahead of the Lions’ Five-Match One-Day Series against the hosts which starts on Friday.

Words: Ryan Day
Images: Getty

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