History was made in the Big Bash League on Tuesday when the new X-Factor rule was used for the first time in Adelaide Strikers’ win over Hobart Hurricanes.
The new rule allows sides in the competition to replace a player with the side’s 12th or 13th man at the 10-over mark of the first innings, so long as the player in the starting XI hasn’t batted at all or bowled more than one over.
The rule was finally brought into play on a wicket favouring the quicks, as both the Strikers and Hurricanes decided to bring in an extra batter and replace finger spinners Danny Briggs and Johan Botha respectively.
The Strikers replaced England left-arm spinner Briggs – who had bowled one over for 15 runs – with Matthew Short, while Botha, who had yet to figure in the game, was replaced by Mac Wright.
However, the replacements failed to light up the affair. Wright hit 15 off 14 for the Hurricanes, coming at the fall of the next wicket, which occurred in the 12th over. In that same innings, Short turned his arm over for one over, conceding eight runs.
In the chase, the Strikers had all but sealed victory when Short arrived at the crease, with just two runs required from 11 balls, but he perished from his first ball faced.
