'Hard to police': Debate rages over contentious roof rule

The contentious Marvel Stadium hit-the-roof-and-get-six-runs rule is back in the spotlight after the Renegades were cruelly robbed of two catching opportunities in a tense Melbourne derby on Saturday night.

Remarkably, despite conceding two sixes in this manner, it didn't cost the Renegades the match as the Stars capitulated in the second half of their run chase as Fawad Ahmed, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers and Will Sutherland closed out the last four overs for just 14 runs to get the home side over the line in a final ball thriller.

Joe Clarke was the first Stars batter to hit the roof in the third over of the chase off Sutherland, awarded a six as the ball ricocheted around the ceiling structure before landing at square leg inside the fielding restriction circle.

Beau Webster was the next beneficiary in the 16th over with his attempt to clear the leg side boundary off Rogers going straight up to hit the roof and landing only metres from the pitch.

Sutherland – who defended 13 from the final over to clinch a six-run victory for the Renegades – told cricket.com.au post-match he was all for the six rule being scrapped and returned to the original dead ball adjudication.

KFC BBL|12 playing conditions state: "if the ball having been struck by the bat hits any part of the stadium roof structure, retractable or fixed, a boundary six will be scored".

Initially, when the competition begun in 2011, any ball that hit the Marvel Stadium roof was ruled a dead ball, but it was swiftly changed in 2013 to differentiate between the retractable and fixed parts of the roof when Renegades veteran Aaron Finch was denied a certain six that hit one of the fixed beams.

It has since been simplified to the current rule that a ball hitting any part of a stadium's roof is deemed a six, which Finch himself benefited from in January 2014, also in a Melbourne derby against the Stars.

"Definitely can it after they had two go their way," Sutherland said. "I let out a few expletives.

"It was even for both sides but I'd like to think it would be dead ball going forward."

Finch – who said during the match on the Fox Cricket broadcast it had cost the Renegades "two simple catches" – was more pragmatic after the crucial victory that saw his team climb to third spot on six wins behind the Scorchers and Sixers.

"The rule is what it is, it's the same for both teams so I don't think you can complain," the Renegades stand-in skipper said.

"But it would have been two dismissals. Joe Clarke in the third over, that makes a big difference in the game.

"It's hard to police because you've got these beams that hang over, they're already over the boundary so if it hits that you should get six.

"If you hit it straight up and get six, honestly, I don't know."

But regardless of the rule, Finch said cricket matches at Marvel Stadium were better with the roof closed.

"There's so many buildings around, there's a lot of light that comes in and if you're fielding over (the Port Phillip Bay) side of the ground, it can be really difficult to see off the seats as the sun is setting," he said.

"It was still hot (with the roof closed), but not unbearable, I've played in worse, definitely."

Opposition skipper Adam Zampa said it was a bizarre rule but didn't know how else it could be adjudicated, apart from giving the fielding team a chance to catch in one-handed off the roof, which retired Aussie great Mark Waugh also suggested in commentary during the Fox Cricket broadcast.

"It's honestly a little bit bizarre they call it six when the ball goes straight up in the air, as a bowler you expect to deceive a batsman and at least be a chance of getting a wicket," Zampa said.

"Maybe build the roof a bit higher."

Waugh said there was no way a ball hitting the roof should be an automatic six runs.

"It's cost (the Renegades) 12 runs which is just wrong," he said.

"At the minimum, it should be a dead ball. It should not be six runs.

"Twelve runs is a big difference in this game, let alone the fact that they would've been out."