By Marcus Uhe
Casey-South Melbourne’s Ruwantha Kellapotha’s remarkable rise up the ranks in Victorian cricket this season has continued, adding a Melbourne Renegades cap to his hat collection to go with the Victorian baggy blue he was awarded earlier in the season.
The former Berwick Bear made his Big Bash League debut against the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday 10 January at Adelaide Oval, handed cap number 108, and his performance of 2-32 off four overs was rewarded with selection in Saturday night’s Melbourne derby at Marvel Stadium against the Stars.
In just his second over on debut, the leg-spinner dismissed both Adelaide openers Ryan Gibson and Matthew Short in the space of three balls, with both caught on the leg-side boundary.
Defending short-square boundaries, he kept his economy to eight runs per over and was hit for just two fours and a six, despite bowling to two of the in-form batters in the competition, in Short and Chris Lynn.
With first-class level bowlers in Kane Richardson and David Moody struggling to keep their economy rates down, Kellapotha was the pick of the bowers in their 20-run loss, before finishing the innings not-out on one.
He repeated his performance with the bat in his second game as the Renegades set the Stars 162 for victory under the roof.
Bowling in the middle overs, including the first in the Stars’ ‘powersurge’ – which places limitations on the number of fielders allowed outside the restrictions circle – the 32-year-old’s ability to dry up the scoring was crucial in leading to the wicket of Hilton Cartwright, as the Stars looked to capitalise on a strong start to their chase.
With Renegades captain Aaron Finch wearing a microphone for Fox Cricket during the game, viewers listened in as the Australian T20 captain liaised with Kellapotha on field placement and tactics in a critical period of the game.
From a position of stability at 0-88 in the ninth over, the Stars finished six runs short in their chase, thanks to Kellapotha’s 11 dot balls as part of an excellent fight-back from the Renegades attack.
Bowling three of his four overs consecutively, in the 10th, 12th and 14th, the Stars had stumbled to 3-177 by the end of the 14th.
The Renegades next face Sydney Thunder in Canberra on Thursday 19 January, but squads have not been announced at time of writing.
