D'Arcy Short survives bizarre near-dismissal as Strikers reach BBL finals
D'Arcy Short survived one of the most bizarre near-dismissals in recent memory, with the Adelaide Strikers batter receiving a piece of luck during the BBL clash against the Sydney Thunder.
The left-hander opened the batting during Sunday night's must-win game at Manuka Oval, but looked to have faltered while facing a delivery from Nathan McAndrew.
Despite a clear noise of leather on wood, the on-field umpire deemed Short had not edged the ball to wicketkeeper Matt Gilkes, before video replays showed the ball had actually clipped the top of the bails on the way through.
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Fortunately for the former Australian star, the bails did not dislodge from the stumps and Short survived the early scare, before being dismissed for 15 against the Thunder.
D'Arcy Short survives a near-dismissal in the BBL. Fox Cricket
The commentators on Fox Cricket were left bemused by the near-miss, with Mark Waugh questioning the equipment, especially given the fact that McAndrew consistently bowls in the 140km/h range.
"How heavy are those bails? Maybe our eyes are going," he said.
The incident was a minor blip on the radar for the Strikers, who secured a spot in the BBL playoffs with their fifth win of the season.
Matt Short continued his dominant T20 form with another scintillating knock, finishing on 74 not out from 49 deliveries, blasting four maximums in the process after being dropped by Thunder star David Warner on the first ball of the innings.
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The recently-retired Test opener again failed to lift the struggling franchise earlier in the night, scoring just 13 from 10 balls before being dismissed by Jamie Overton as the Thunder were bowled out for 140.
Adelaide would seal the victory in the 17th over, with Short receiving plenty of support from Jake Weatherald (47 not out) in the Canberra fixture.
