BBL 11 | VIDEO: Andre Russell gets lucky as zing bails don’t come off after Tanveer Sangha delivery hits stumps

12/12/2021

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Andre Russell survived a narrow escape when he played on a Tanveer Sangha delivery onto his stumps, but the heavy zing bails didn’t come off to give him a reprieve during a BBL 2021-22 match between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder in Sydney on Sunday. Stars eventually won the game by six wickets.

The incident occurred on the last ball of the 15th over of Stars’ 152-run chase, after Andre Russell had tonked Tanveer Sangha for a 102-metre six off the previous ball. Sangha went full and Russell attempted a wild slog, only to get a thick inside edge onto his boots and see the ball ricochet towards the stumps. The ball hit the sticks but the heavy zing bails didn’t come off to give the batter a reprieve.

Russell eventually finished unbeaten on 43 off 22, seeing his side home with six wickets and 17 balls remaining. The swashbuckling all-rounder struck a boundary and five sixes, after having walked in to bat when Sangha had removed the experienced Marcus Stoinis and Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell of successive balls in the 12th over of the chase.

Earlier, Alex Ross struck an unbeaten 49-ball 77, which revived the Thunder from 65/4 in the 12th over to an eventual total of 151/5 after being put in to bat.