Celebration blunder leads the Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers game to super over

In a rare incident, a celebration blunder by Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) forced the match into a super overs. The WBBL descended into high farce on Wednesday after a premature celebration from the Renegades team almost cost them victory against the Sydney Sixers.

After posting 120/7 from their 20 overs, the Renegades charged their way through the Sixers’ middle order. Melbourne skipper Amy Satterthwaite bowled well at the start of the final over, leaving Sixers batter Sarah Aley with the task to score three runs from the last ball to win the match. She snuck a run to short fine leg, but it wasn’t enough and thus the Renegades started celebrating. They thought they’d won the contest by a run.

But wicketkeeper Emma Inglis had thrown away the ball amid the jubilation without dislodging the bails. And thus the ball wasn’t dead yet. Aley, at the non-striker’s end, showed brilliant match awareness and dashed off for a second, as did Angela Reakes down the other end. By the time the Renegades realized what was happening, it was too late.

They protested with the umpires, but their dismay fell on deaf ears. The umpires awarded the second run as the match headed for a super over.

You can see the video below:

Brilliant awareness from Sarah Aley takes this to a Super Over!
?: https://t.co/r9Ifc6XRyn #WBBL03 pic.twitter.com/EOn6xx3QNz

— Rebel Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) January 3, 2018

Super-over

The Renegades luckily didn’t live to rue for their lack of awareness. Hayley Jensen took 2/8 in the Sixers’ super over, before Satterthwaite and Jess Duffin scrambled to victory off the final ball of their super over, bowled by Marizanne Kapp.

With the win, the Melbourne-based franchise has won 4 of their seven matches this season. They now climb to the 4th spot in a very congested ladder.

Renegades skipper Satterthwaite was named the player of the match for her knock of 44 from as many balls and figures of 1/21 from four overs.