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Finch says BBL ton meaningless in loss

3 minute read

Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch described his BBL century against Sydney Sixers as meaningless, after his side slumped to an 11th loss in 13 games.

AARON FINCH
AARON FINCH Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A candid Aaron Finch has heaped criticism rather than praise on himself, after a brutal century couldn't help his Melbourne Renegades side avoid another demoralising BBL loss.

Back from captaining Australia's ODI side in India, opener Finch clobbered 109 off 68 balls on Saturday, but it coudn't prevent the visitors seven-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers at the SCG.

The Renegades skipper said he would rather be dismissed for a duck and win and than score a century in a loss was meaningless and felt awful.

It was an 11th loss in 13 games for the 2019 champions and Finch was upset with himself for not accelerating earlier.

He scored 42 of the first 44 balls before cutting loose.

"My first 40 balls probably let us down to be honest,'" Finch said.

The Renegades piled on 81 off the last six overs, but the previous six gleaned just 26 and didn't contain a single boundary.

"It was up to me at that stage to try and tick it over a bit more and maybe make that 40 off six overs or 45," Finch said..

"Just holding back a little bit, just wasn't committed 100 per cent."

An unbeaten 66 off 40 balls from Steve Smith in his first BBL innings at the SCG in six years proved enough to get Sydney over the line.

Like most other opposing captains, Finch struggled to set a field capable of restricting the run flow of his Australian teammate, who proved adept at working the ball into gaps.

"He'll manipulate the field and that's what's so great about him, he almost gets you to set the field where he wants it, it's a great skill to have," Finch said.

Asked who he fancied to succeed the Renegades as champions, Finch said he thought the winner would come out of the Stars, Strikers and Sixers.

The Stars collapsed in last year's final against the Renegades, losing from a seemingly invincible position.

They suffered another collapse on Saturday, losing 8-47 in a 71-run defeat by Brisbane at the MCG.

When a cheeky journalist asked before that game if he could see the Stars choking again, Smith chuckled and said: "I hope so, to us, that would be nice.

"Finals cricket is a little bit different, you're under a lot more pressure from the outset and usually in finals the team that holds their nerve the most, is the one that wins."

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