Sam Billings produced an absolute show in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL), winning his side a crucial game against the Melbourne Stars. However, he was dearly helped by an ignorant moment from the Stars, where skipper Marcus Stoinis failed to appeal even when Billings was clearly out!
Bizarre from Maxwell, Stoinis in BBL
During the Sydney Thunder innings, Sam Billings nudged a short-of-length delivery towards the short third man and set off for a risky single in the 13th over. The Stars’ fielder responded with a sharp direct hit at the non-striker’s end, seemingly catching Billings well short of his crease.
However, in a moment of collective lapse, none of the Stars players appealed for the run-out. The umpire remained unmoved, and Billings carried on batting as if nothing had happened. Replays on the big screen later confirmed that Billings was out by a significant margin. The sight of Glenn Maxwell’s disbelief, his hands on his head, summed up the costly error. Maxwell was speaking with commentators when he got to know.
Billings stars for Sydney Thunders in BBL
Billings, given a second life, capitalized on the mistake in spectacular fashion. He smashed 72 off just 39 balls, anchoring the Thunder’s innings and helping them post a formidable 182/8. Billings was at 25 (19) when he got a repreive. However, then, he got in a different beast mode. He utilised the power surge and claimed a handsome 47 off the next 20 balls. In reply, Melbourne Stars struggled to build momentum. Despite Ben Duckett’s valiant half-century, the Stars faltered, losing wickets at regular intervals. Ultimately, they fell 18 runs short, facing their fifth defeat of the season.
