Renegades eye their first title

By Robert Bremner

The Melbourne Renegades hope the second installment of the Twenty20 Big Bash League will lead to greater success than the first, which ended so dismally after promising so much.

In 2011 the Docklands team finished in seventh place with only two wins, much to the disappointment of fans.

This year’s Docklands team has some of the best local talent and some well-known international stars.

It has so far named two international stars with hopefully more to come. The biggest signing so far is Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets with 800. He retired from test cricket in 2010, fittingly finishing his career with a wicked on his final ball. The Sri Lankan will be sure to trouble opposition batsman.

Another big-name star who has joined the Renegades is West Indian all rounder Marlon Samuels. Samuels showed why he is one of the best Twenty20 players in the International Cricket Council Twenty20 World Cup by finishing third overall in total runs scored. Due to other commitments, Samuels will most likely be not joining the team for its opening match.

Australian talent within the team includes Aaron Finch who is back for another season after leading the Renegades run-scoring with 259 from his seven matches. Finch has been named as the team’s captain for the upcoming season.

The season begins on December 7 with the Renegades taking on the Melbourne Stars in the local derby at Etihad Stadium.

Get down there and support your local team as they hope to start the season off in style.

Five Victorians have re-signed with the Renegades including Aaron Finch, Jayde Herrick (bowler), Will Sheridan (batsman) Meyrick Buchanan (batsman) and Michael Hill (batsman).

Rounding out the squad is Tom Cooper (batsman), Brendan Drew (bowler), Daniel Harris (batsman), former Bushranger James Muirhead (bowler), Peter Nevill (wicket keeper) Aaron O’Brien (all-rounder), Darren Pattinson (bowler), Nathan Rimmington (bowler) and Ben Rohrer (batsman).

Renegades Season 2012/2013 FixtureTwenty20 cricket is a limited-overs version of cricket with each team restricted to 20 overs. It is a fast paced version of the game that is filled with wickets, boundaries, sixes and loud music to keep the crowd entertained.

The inaugural season final was played between the Sydney Sixers and the Perth Scorchers with the Sixers enjoying a seven wicket win.