Boyce cut by Renegades ahead of historic double hat-trick

Double hat-trick hero Cameron Boyce has played his last game for the Melbourne Renegades with the leg-spinner told his contract would not be renewed on the same day as his historic feat.

The 32-year-old was told just hours before yesterday's clash, where he became the first bowler in KFC BBL history to take four wickets in four balls, that he would not be required for next season, cricket.com.au understands.

The Renegades clinched their third straight wooden spoon on Wednesday when they lost on the final ball against the Sydney Thunder at the MCG.

In a cruel turn of events, it was Boyce who was out on the final delivery when the ball ballooned off his edge to point, with his side failing to get the two runs required and falling one run short of the Thunder's total.

But Boyce won't be the only player cut by the Renegades in the fallout from another disappointing season with the club expected to make a number of list announcements in the coming weeks.

The Big Bash cellar dwellers have lost 31 of their past 42 games and Boyce is among eight locally based players out of contract at the end of this season.

Coach David Saker last week flagged significant changes for next season as they try to claw their way back to competitiveness for the first time since winning the title in BBL|08.

"There's quite a lot of players on our list that aren't contracted next year so we've got some meetings to be had in the next week or so about that and we'll make some decisions on players if we keep them in and if we don't," he said.

"We also need to go out and recruit some players and obviously after the three years we've had, the performances aren't really good enough, so we're going to have to get some players in."

Boyce, who only returned to the Renegades side for their last four matches after missing all of BBL|10 with health concerns, claimed 10 wickets this season to finish third on the club's season tally and move up to second on their all-time wickets list with 40 from 34 matches.

The right-armer played seven T20I for Australia between 2014 and 2016 and joined the Renegades ahead of BBL|08, the season that they won their first and only title.

Boyce is the competition's eighth highest wicket taker of all time with 89 wickets at 23.75 in his nine seasons and could no doubt find a home elsewhere if he wishes to continue playing in the BBL.

"There was a bit of time there last year where I didn't know if I was going to be back playing again," he said yesterday.

"It was unfortunate at the start of the year with the (calf) injury, it sucks being on a list and having to watch."

A visibly flat Boyce said after yesterday's game that that he would have traded in his double hat-trick to get his side over the line.

"It's the highs and lows of T20 cricket isn't it," he said.

"In hindsight it's a pretty amazing achievement to say I've got a double hat-trick at the MCG, it's something that I'll look back at for a long time, but I'd trade it all in for a win for the boys.

"You couldn't have probably scripted it better the way it was panned out to finish, but I couldn't get it done so I feel for our boys and our fans that have dealt with that throughout the season, I think we probably owe them a bit better.

"Our fans and members have been through a fair bit this year, the last two games we've been super close so hopefully they can see some glimpses that we're pushing in the right direction."

Boyce admitted he didn’t know he was on a hat-trick when he took the third wicket, with the batter Alex Ross, who was out leg before attempting a reverse sweep, also revealing on the player mic that he unaware as well.

"I knew after that because the boys said something in the huddle," he said.

"I was trying to bowl hard spin straight at the stumps. My heart was racing after the initial hat-trick, it all happened so quick.

"You obviously always back your skillset but never do you think anything like that's going to happen.

"I just bowled the same way I've been bowling for the last 10 years and fortunate enough today it went my way a little bit, but it doesn't really count for much now."