Melbourne Renegades have edged out Sydney Thunder by six runs in a thriller.
The Melbourne Renegades earned their first win of the KFC T20 Big Bash League, claiming a thriller over the Sydney Thunder at ANZ Stadium by six runs on Friday.
Renegades skipper Andrew McDonald won the toss and elected to bat, and his side posted what looked to be a below-par 8-140 on the back of knocks from openers Brad Hodge (44) and Aaron Finch (41).
Despite a lightning start in the chase from West Indian Chris Gayle (75), the Thunder were pegged back in the run rate by some fine economic bowling from Shahid Afridi (3-21 off four overs) and Dirk Nannes (0-10 off four).
Gayle was the only shining light in the Thunder's time at the crease, with cameos from Usman Khawaja (17) and Tim Cruickshank (15) not enough for the hosts to avoid their first defeat of the campaign, as they finished on 7-134.
Renegades pacemen Shane Harwood and Shaun Tait scalped two wickets apiece as the momentum Gayle built for Sydney disappeared late in the chase.
Earlier, Sydney spinner Luke Doran (2-26 off three) dismissed both Melbourne openers in the space of three balls in the 11th over to turn the Renegades innings on its head.
Hodge was dismissed holing out to Jason Floros at long-on, before Finch was bowled off his pads by the 20-year-old tweaker.
Amazingly, Doran could have had three scalps in four balls, as Afridi was dropped by Floros on his first ball.
Glenn Maxwell (10) never got going, and was clean bowled by paceman Sean Abbott (2-21 off four), while Pakistani pair Afridi (16) and Abdul Razzaq (13) were others to reach double figures for Melbourne.
The Thunder were impressive in the field, highlighted by Australian Test batsman Khawaja's two tough catches in the deep.
Razzaq broke a run of 51 balls without a Renegades' boundary - off the bat - when he cracked a six off the second-last ball of the inning, but to typify his side's fortunes in their 20 overs, he was bowled the next ball by Abbott.
Luke Butterworth was the other Thunder bowler to nab multiple wickets, finishing with the respectable figures of 2-27 from four overs.
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