While the Australian Test side is engaged in a hard-fought battle with Pakistan, the sixth edition of the Big Bash League has kicked off with the T20 competition slowly but steadily starting to build up excitement as we head into the new year. The New Year derby between Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades in what is expected to be a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground is already being touted as a mouthwatering match and there’s more in store for the fans eagerly waiting for the contest.
Not as if Melbourne Stars was short of any firepower with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and England’s T20 specialist Luke Wright in their ranks, but come Sunday it is the expected return of England’s forgotten hero Kevin Pietersen which has the fans buzzing in excitement. Both the Melbourne sides won their matches quite comfortably but it was the Stars who stood out chasing down a target of 189 against the Hurricanes with more than two overs to spare.
Opener Rob Quiney set up the chase with his knock of 75 while Wright made 48 before Maxwell finished off the job in some style with a 29-ball 58 helping his side win the opening game of the new season by seven wickets. While the return of Pietersen who is currently back home in England enjoying the Christmas festivities with his family, is expected to curtail Maxwell’s time at the crease, the hard-hitting all-rounder is looking forward to the Englishman joining their ranks sooner rather than later.
“Anytime you have a player of the calibre of him, it can only help the team," Maxwell said about Pietersen. "When you win a game like that in a great run chase I suppose it's a good headache to have when he comes back. We'll all shuffle around and we'll see what happens. I have no idea what's going to happen. We're all looking forward to seeing the impact (he'll have) on the competition.”
It is not just Maxwell who is excited about the return of Pietersen with the veteran in the side Rob Quiney also smacking his lips at the prospect of the damage that the duo of Maxwell and Pietersen can inflict on the opposition together.
“If we (the openers) can get some sort of little platform, and get some sort of momentum, then to have him come in at three – and if KP comes back, to have him come in at four – is massive for us," Quiney said. "There's going to be times when he doesn't come off. Hopefully people don't make too much of it because that's Twenty20 cricket, but that's pretty exciting."
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