The Melbourne Stars have been left to rue the most bizarre moment of the BBL season, failing to appeal when Sydney Thunder batsman Sam Billings was run out.
With the Thunder innings stalling on Saturday night and Billings 16 at the time, the Englishman survived when caught short of his crease before going on to score 72 off 39 balls.
Billings smacked 56 from 23 deliveries after the missed chance at Manuka Oval in Canberra, helping the Thunder to an imposing total of 8-182.
The incident came against a Stars side whose season is going from bad to worse, winless after four games and needing a victory to have any hope of playing finals.
But if they are beaten, they will only have themselves to blame.
After Billings hit a ball to short third man with the Thunder 3-95 in the 13th over, Joel Paris threw down the bowler’s end stumps.
Melbourne captain Marcus Stoinis and bowler Peter Siddle both vented their frustration at Paris for giving away an overthrow, but none appealed for a run out.
Replays later showed Billings was out of his crease when the ball hit the stumps, but the batter could not be given out as no Stars players appealed to the umpire.
Billings then cleared the legside boundary off the next ball from Siddle, before commentators told Stars allrounder Glenn Maxwell of the scenario.
“That seems about right … You’re kidding me,” Maxwell said on the Fox Sports commentary.
Making matters worse for the Stars, it wasn’t the only life offered up to Billings.
He was also put down by Brody Couch in the deep when on 25, before reverse-sweeping his next three balls from spinner Usama Mir to the boundary.
The 33-year-old also belted Beau Webster for a massive six over long-on later in the innings, before he later chopped on a short and wide ball from Siddle.
Jason Sangha hit 33 for the Thunder, while Cameron Bancroft struck 21 and David Warner 19.
Mir was the pick of the bowlers with 2-37.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au