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Big Bash League season 11 was full of surprises and excitement as the Perth Scorchers became champions for the fourth time.
There were some standout moments throughout BBL11 and we've come up with a shortlist of our top 10 moments of the season.
Jake Fraser-McGurk catch
The 19-year-old Melbourne Renegades player became a viral sensation when he pulled off a stunner at the Marvel Stadium. Soaring into the air in a leap ala Michael Jordan slam dunk, he plucked the ball that was soaring into the stands.
McDermott back-to-back centuries and 93
Ben McDermott ended up as the 'Player of the tournament' with a stunning tournament. He scored 110 vs Adelaide Strikers and 127 vs Melbourne Renegades within 48 hours of each other. McDermott narrowly missed out on another when he scored 93 against Brisbane Heat.
Hayden Kerr semis
Not many knew Hayden Kerr before this edition but they do now! Especially his knock of 98* from 58 balls coming as an opener against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger. Sealing it with a last-ball four, Kerr made a mockery of his previous BBL career high score of 22.
BBL shifting to Melbourne hub
To combat the growing menace of Covid-19 outbreaks that scarred the competition, the tournament moved to a Victorian hub. Some matches were still played in a fly-in, fly-out model but this move helped the tournament rally towards the finish line.
Central local replacement player pool
Along with the move to Victoria, the tournament also started a unique 'Central local replacement player pool'. Starting with a list of eight players each of whom have been assigned a 'home' club, a player could be contracted by any club as an LRP under the existing BBL contracting rules. And they were needed!
Steve Smith denied a chance - not once, not twice but thrice!
Yeah, you read it right! Who wouldn't want to see Steve Smith in action? Cricket Australia rejected the Sixers' request to play Smith in the BBL finals because he was not in the original squad although no one predicted the abandonment of Australia vs New Zealand series. Even when the Sixers were struggling to put up players in the Challenger and the finale, they couldn't get Smith on the roster.
Glenn Maxwell smashing 154
In one of the most brutal displays of batting in the history of BBL, Glenn Maxwell smashed 154* from 64 balls to lead Melbourne Stars to 273 for 2 against Hobart Hurricanes - both the highest scores in BBL history. The team score was the third highest in any franchise or international T20 cricket. Maxwell's score was the ninth highest in T20 history.
Jordan Silk retired hurt with one ball remaining and two runs to win
A hamstrung Jordan Silk was tactically retired with the Sixers needing two to win from one ball against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger. Adding more spice to this event, the player replacing him was Jay Lenton, originally the Sixers' assistant coach who was a late addition after Josh Philippe tested positive to Covid. The decision will keep haunting the ethics committee.
Rashid Khan 6-for
How do you sign off from the competition? Not sure about others but Rashid Khan did it with career-best figures of 6 for 17 in his 300th T20 game which were the third-best in the competition's history. The match lifted the Strikers off the bottom and they went on a run to reach the BBL finals, which reportedly caused some of the biggest betting sites, such as 1Xbet, having to pay out large sums to their customers due to such great odds being offered at the time.
Cameron Boyce four in four
Melbourne Renegades had a season to forget but Boyce wrote his name in the history books as the first BBL player to claim four wickets in four balls. His figures of 5 for 21 at the MCG were the club's best in history, but the story ended up in a one-run loss to Sydney Thunder.
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