3 minute read

Renegades skipper Aaron Finch had some harsh words to say about his team's season-long batting woes after yet another big BBL loss.

Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch has accused his team of playing "dumb" cricket after his side's humbling 60-run BBL loss to the Adelaide Strikers.

The bottom-of-the-table Renegades conceded 52 off the last four overs with the ball before losing their last nine wickets for 44 with the bat to sag to their seventh successive defeat at Adelaide Oval.

"There's been some really dumb batting this season," Finch said.

"We've got a lot of starts but haven't gone on to get those match-winning scores, besides Shaun Marsh who's been brilliant.

"When the pressure comes on, we're not getting it done."

The Renegades looked to have the upper hand with the ball before being overwhelmed by a punishing 96-run fifth-wicket union between Jake Weatherald (51) and Ryan Gibson (43 not out), which flipped the contest.

"It was really good for 16 overs (with the ball) and we had some good momentum," Finch said.

"But that partnership for the Strikers between Weatherald and Gibson was the turning point in the game."

Gibson snared two catches to beat Weatherald for player-of-the-match honours but he paid tribute to his senior partner who has recaptured his spark after moving down the order.

Weatherald, the Strikers' all-time leading run scorer, looked out of sorts while totalling 52 from his last four knocks as opener before switching to the middle order in Adelaide's past two matches.

He has since blasted 85 off 49 balls while being dismissed once.

"Jake's batting beautifully," Gibson said.

"Moving down the order, he seems at home there.

"He can hit a long ball and he's a really good runner between wickets which is what we need during that middle period."