Dixit Bhargav
|Published 23/12/2022
Kurtis Patterson gets hit in the ribs. Photo Courtesy: cricket.com.au Twitter
In spite of hosting its inaugural T20 16 years ago, Junction Oval will only be hosting its third match in the history of Men’s T20. Slated to begin in minutes from now, Big Bash League 2022-23 Match 12 between Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers will only be the second match in the history of the BBL to be played here.
A contest of equals will see two teams bereft of some key players fighting for a second victory of the season. Currently at the third and fourth position on the points table respectively, both Stars and Scorchers have won and lost a match in their first two contests. In what is going to be a second home match for Melbourne, it will be a second away match for Perth this season.
A regular venue for Women’s international matches and Women’s Big Bash League, only a handful of Men’s T20s at the Junction Oval result in a very limited number of records. Interestingly, the first-ever BBL match here was also played between Stars and Scorchers earlier this year.
Highest run-scorers in two T20s at the Junction Oval are Kurtis Patterson (54), Joe Clarke (52), Jon Moss (41), Colin Munro (40) and Shane Deitz (34).
Highest wicket-takers in T20s played at this stadium are Shane Harwood (3), Tymal Mills (3), Haris Rauf (2), Peter Hatzoglou (2) and Andrew McDonald (2).
While the first Men’s T20 at the Junction Oval was won by the home team, the latest one had witnessed the visiting team registering a victory. Contrary to the first match (won by the chasing team), the second one was one by the team batting first.
ALSO READ: Pitch report of Junction Oval for MS vs PS BBL 2022-23 match
Scorchers have the record of scoring the highest T20 innings totals at this stadium on the back of posting a winning 180/8 in 20 overs in January. Although a low-scoring encounter, highest successful T20 run-chase at the Junction Oval had come in its inaugural T20 as Victoria had chased down a 114-run target in the 13th over against South Australia.
Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who is currently into his fifth year as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. His first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.
Copyright: © RU Sport Private Limited. All rights reserved.
Copyright: © RU Sport Private Limited. All rights reserved.
