Otago Volts are not all about Brendon McCullum. Opener Niel Broom struck a blistering unbeaten 117 off just 56 balls as the New Zealand champions swept aside Big Bash League runners-up Perth Scorchers by 62 runs.
Broom cracked eight sixes and nine fours to orchestrate a stunning recovery for Otago, who were dealt a double blow in the third over as debutant left-armer Joel Paris trapped Hamish Rutherford and captain McCullum in front off successive balls. After rattling up a huge 242 for 4, their bowling – led by Ian Butler’s 3 for 47 — saw to it that four points were in the bank for the side that came through the qualifiers unconquered.
Having chosen to field, the Scorchers’ army of left-armers seemed to have Otago all tangled up as they took eight overs to reach 50. But the next 12 produced an incredible 192 runs as Broom, first in the company of Derek de Boorder (45 off 28) and then alongside Ryan ten Doeschate (66 off 26), tore apart the opposition.
Brief Scores: Otago 242 for 2 in 20 overs (N Broom 117, R ten Doeschate 66; J Paris 2/50) bt Perth Scorchers 180 for 6 in 20 overs (H Cartwright 69, A Voges 36; I Butler 3/47).
Match Shifted
The Group A match between Mumbai Indians and Highveld Lions, originally scheduled to be played at Ahmedabad on September 27, has been shifted to Jaipur.
The change was necessitated after the Sardar Patel Stadium was rendered unfit for play due to the heavy rains, an official release said.