Both Melbourne sides are desperate for a win to get their seasons back on track in Saturday night's MCG derby
'Clear the ropes': 'Gades skipper's derby boost for Fraser-McGurk
Will Sutherland has urged Jake Fraser-McGurk to keep trying to "clear the ropes" to rediscover his best as their Melbourne Renegades gear up for a decisive derby against the Stars.
Both Melbourne teams have again found themselves in the bottom half of the standings entering second half of the KFC BBL|14 season.
Sutherland's side enter Saturday night's MCG blockbuster in sixth on the back of two straight losses, while the Stars have been stuck in last place since losing the season opener to Perth Scorchers.
While Fraser-McGurk's opening partner Josh Brown reached full-flight with six sixes in his 41-ball 66 during last night's loss to Adelaide Strikers, the 22-year-old fell for his third single-figure score in their past four matches.
The right-hander has only reached 50 once (in the second T20I against England in September) in 24 innings across all formats since his breakout Indian Premier League campaign for Delhi Capitals last year.
But his skipper said he had a "good chat" with his young opener following their five-wicket loss to the Strikers on Thursday and maintains he doesn't need to make any drastic changes to get back in the runs.
"I think Jake bats his best when he's looking to clear the ropes," Sutherland said at the MCG today.
"(Looking to hit a) six first and then work down from there.
"So it's just reinforcing to him that all batters go through a lean run.
"He doesn't want to try and change anything too drastically or start chasing his tail – just keep trusting what's got him here and hopefully tomorrow it sets up well for him to have a good game."
With Brown also a "quite similar batter" and Kiwi import Tim Seifert striking at 143 for the tournament, Sutherland said they'd gone all out "power at the top".
"It's up to those guys through the middle to consolidate – 'Beth' (Jacob Bethell), Laurie (Evans) and 'Macca' (Mackenzie) Harvey – if we are 3-50," Sutherland said.
"Which we often might be with the power up the top – it either comes off or it doesn't."
The Renegades slipped to 2-3 on Thursday after Chris Lynn's masterful 88 from 51 balls guided the Strikers to a comfortable victory, while the Stars remain at the foot of the standings despite recording their first win of BBL|14.
Defeat for the Stars on Saturday would likely spell the end of their season, but captain Marcus Stoinis wants his side to use their win over Brisbane Heat on New Year's Day as a "blueprint" to try and build momentum through the second half of the tournament.
"I'm looking at the ladder and yes, we would have loved to have won more, of course, but the way it looks we're still right in it," he said.
"Keep bringing the same attitude, regardless of results, the same energy, the same character, the same courage to each situation and game, that's all we can ask.
"We actually did a lot right in the first little bit of the season there, we just couldn't put it together long enough to get some wins."
The Stars have made one change with left-arm spinner Doug Warren replacing fast bowler Brody Couch, with Stoinis indicating English import Tom Curran was still a game away as he recovers from the calf strain.
The Renegades have left out seamer Fergus O'Neill in favour of Xavier Crone as Sutherland too implored his side to stick to their pre-tournament modus operandi to get back on the winners list.
"In a competition where games come so quickly, you can't panic or try and reinvent the wheel mid-tournament," he said.
"With the (next) game two days away, you've got to stay quite positive.
"Our batting line up strong, and bowling as well, so there's no reason for us to panic. We've got to keep trusting what our plans were pre-tournament and hopefully it comes together.
"Whoever we were playing tomorrow night would be a pretty big game and it's made even bigger by obviously playing here (at the MCG) versus the Stars that both teams desperately need to win."
KFC BBL|14 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SIX
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.228 | 0 | 9 |
|
2
THU
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.309 | 0 | 8 |
|
3
HUR
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.154 | 0 | 8 |
|
4
SCO
|
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.785 | 0 | 6 |
|
5
HEA
|
6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.727 | 0 | 5 |
|
6
REN
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.413 | 0 | 4 |
|
7
STR
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.299 | 0 | 4 |
|
8
STA
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.531 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points