Big Bash League : 3 instances of ‘five-wicket’ hauls: 3 instances of ‘five-wicket’ hauls : A ‘five-wicket’ haul in an innings is equal to a century scored by a batsman. The feat achieves greater importance if it comes in a T20 game, as much as a century does.
There have been three occasions when a bowler has gone on to pick up five or more wickets in a game in the Big Bash League, Australian equivalent of IPL.
• Lasith Malinga 6/7 in 2012
The most successful ‘death over’ bowler, Sri Lankan, Lasith Malinga picked up the first ever five-wicket haul in a Big Bash game. Playing for Melbourne Stars in the encounter against Perth Scorchers, on 12th December, 2012, at WACA Perth, Malinga achieved this feat.
Melbourne Stars won the toss and elected to field. Malinga, opening the bowling attack, alongwith James Faulkner, kept the pressure on the Scorchers batsmen, who could never put up any useful partnership. Only Adam Voges (14) and Hilton Cartwright (17) could reach the double digit score. ‘Extras’ with 11 runs had the third highest tally.
Succumbing to the pace pressure, Scorchers ended their innings with just 69 runs in 15.2 overs. While Faulkner accounted for 2 wickets, giving away 16 runs in his 4-over spell, Maliga accounted for Marcus North (1), Marcus Stoinis (9), Hilton Cartwright (17), wicket-keeper Tom Triffit (4) and Coulter-Nile (0).
Malinga returned with a brilliant analysis of 4-1-7-6 and was awarded the Player of the Match.
• Daniel Christian 5/26 in 2012
Australian medium pacer, Daniel Christian, performed the feat of picking up a five-wicket haul in the game between Brisbane Heats and Sydney Thunder, played at Stadium Australia, Sydney, on 28th December, 2012.
Thunder chose to bat but could not withstand the heat of the pace-man of Brisbane Heats, Christian.
Few small partnerships, with a significant 35 runs for the 2nd wicket in 4.3 overs, between Chris Gayle (28) and Matt Prior (17) enabled Thunder to put up 126/10 in 20 overs, losing Adam Zampa (6) in the last delivery of the innings.
Accounting for Gayle, Prior, Simon Keen (9), Scott Koyte (12) and Chris Tremain (1), Daniel picked up 5 wickets, giving away 26 runs in his spell of 4 overs.
Brisbane Heats went on to win the weather-affected match by 5 wickets under D/L method.
• Nathan Lyon 5/23 in 2015
The third instance of a five-wicket haul came three years later. Aussie off-spinner, Nathan Lyon, achieved this distinction in the game between Sydney Sixes and Hobart Hurricanes, played on 20th December, 2015, at Sydney Cricket Ground, in the ongoing BBL.
Playing for Sydney Sixers, batting first, Lyon could not contribute anything with the bat in the only delivery (the last of the innings) that he faced. Sixers set up a target of 187 runs for the opposition.
The offie, opening the bowling attack alongwith Johan Botha, was successful in restricting Hurricanes to a small total of 91 runs in 15.5 overs.
In the process, Lyon accounted for wicket-keeper-skipper Tim Paine (0), Kumara Sangakkara (0), Joe Mennie (4), Sam Rainbird (1) and Shaun Tait (5), giving away 23 runs n his spell of 3.5 overs. Sydney Sixers went on to win the game by 95 runs.