Renegades secure top spot

After beginning the season as the bookmakers ran outsider alongside Sydney Thunder, the team in red will now host a semi-final at Etihad Stadium next Tuesday night where they have not been beaten this season.

The Renegades recruiting staff, led by coach Simon Helmot, secured several undervalued T20 performers over the off-season and the strategy has paid dividends.

Ben Rohrer, who captained the side in place of Aaron Finch in last night’s 29-run win over the Sydney Sixers, has been the most consistent batsman in the league, passing 30 in six of his eight innings in his season total of 253 runs, at an average of 50.60 and a strike rate of 147.09.

Two of the top three leading wicket takers in Australian domestic T20 history, Nathan Rimmington and Aaron O’Brien, have also been astute recruits, leading the Renegades attack with eight and nine wickets respectively.

On top of those selections has been the home grown talent of Victorian trio Aaron Finch, Will Sheridan and Darren Pattinson.

Finch has been the leading run-scorer in the competition right from the first game and has saved his best performances for the big games, crunching unbeaten scores of 111 and 67 in Man-of-the-Match performances in the two Melbourne derbies against the Melbourne Stars.

Sheridan (nine wickets) and Pattinson (eight wickets) have used clever changes of pace to deceive the opposition batsmen.

The icing on the cake has been the international talent with Sri Lankan spin genius Muttiah Muralitharan bamboozling the competition with 10 wickets, while Marlon Samuels proved his all-round ability and his replacement, English T20 opener Alex Hales made a stunning debut last night with 89 from just 52 deliveries.

The Renegades’ opponent for the semi-final will not be known until Saturday night after the final preliminary match between Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat.

There is a chance that they may play the Melbourne Stars who currently sit in second place though that will become third position after tonight’s match between Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers.

The Stars finished with five victories and three losses and have been led with the bat by Victorian legend Brad Hodge who sits in second position on the run scorers list, between Finch and Rohrer, with 272 runs at a strike rate of 140.93.

Superstar paceman Lasith Malinga has lit up the series with 13 wickets while all-rounder James Faulkner has chipped in with 10 wickets.

If the Stars finish in third position, they will face the winner either Adelaide Strikers or Perth Scorchers next Wednesday night.

You can purchase your tickets to the Renegades’ Tuesday night semi-final at Etihad Stadium at http://cricvi.co/ZsWx9Y