00:00:04
Speaker 1: This episode of the Surge is brought to you by Origin, proud partners of Cricket Australia and powering the Power Surge in BBL fifteen.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Caay everyone, and welcome to the Surge.
00:00:15
Speaker 1: Here from the MCG where we had seventy thousand people here to watch the Melbourne Derby and we had one man live out a dream in front of a packed MCG hitting the winning run. And see's the captain of the Renegades. His name is Will Sutherland. You've just done something very special, Will.
00:00:31
Speaker 3: Yeah, what, It's still pretty surreal at the moment, a bit lost the words obviously dream come true for mine as a Melbourne boy. To play in front of this many people is amazing, let alone to be able to play a part in a win for the Renegades at the end. So I'm incredibly pumped and I hope this sort of kickstarts our season for the Gates.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: We'll talk about from a season point of view in a moment.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: But you've been sitting in the seats watching your cats or watching Australia play growing up so many times in front of a packed house. Here's to be out there in the middle hitting those winning runs the feeling, what's.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: It like, Well, it's imagine it's about as close I'm going to get to play an AFL. So it's pretty cool from that point of view. Even walking out the race and saying this many people tonight was amazing. Just trying to be clear out there and not get overawed by the moment.
00:01:18
Speaker 4: Because you know, it was pretty special.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: So I'm incredibly happy for you know, I was a cricket that so many people turned out and yeah, I'll still pinch myself at the moment, a bit lost the words, but it was a lot of fun.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: So are you thinking about the amount of people that are that are watching you in that moment that hundreds of thousands on television or can you get locked into just focusing on that white ball?
00:01:39
Speaker 4: But I think I did pretty well tonight.
00:01:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's as simple as that, just trying to watch the ball and react and hit it where it's supposed to go. There's definitely in between balls things are coming into your mind all the time, like you know, all my mates are watching or has that.
00:01:54
Speaker 4: Many people here?
00:01:54
Speaker 3: But just got to go back to your process and then be really clear and right when the ball's getting released and.
00:02:02
Speaker 1: I know, you want to bat higher up the order if you can, but that role in that sort of seven or eight spot where you have to come in and.
00:02:09
Speaker 2: Potentially hit a six off the first ball you face.
00:02:11
Speaker 1: But to go out and close out the game like that, it's not an easy thing to do.
00:02:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, I probably haven't done myself any favors tonight, but I even said the Whitey tonight, can I get up to five here if we take the surge? But that got shut down, So not really getting up there anytime soon.
00:02:26
Speaker 4: But it's what I've done.
00:02:27
Speaker 3: Most of my white ball batting around has been able to hit from ball one, so I was happy I was able to do it tonight. And I'll bet anywhere for the Renegade as long as I can play a role and whatever's best for the team.
00:02:37
Speaker 1: Now you've got that mace, that very heavy mace that was handed out to you in the middle of the ground. There was a fair bit of feeling in the game tonight, especially from some of the elder boys were in Green.
00:02:49
Speaker 2: It got quite tense.
00:02:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, they were certainly up and about when they took that flurry of wickets there. But that's what it's all about. I reckon it's definitely a real rivalry and that got showed tonight. I think I've said some things that I didn't even realize what I was saying because you're that fired up. But it shows it's real. The crowd, I think, knows it's real. That's why so many people show up. And it was pretty cool to have Jackson Morn come out and present the mace to me on the MCJ.
00:03:13
Speaker 4: That was a big moment for myself.
00:03:15
Speaker 2: I think you're right.
00:03:16
Speaker 1: The fact that seventy thousand people turned out does kind of legitimize the clash and the rivalry a little bit, and then when the games play with that sort of intensity, it felt real.
00:03:25
Speaker 2: Definitely felt real tonight.
00:03:26
Speaker 4: Definitely.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: I've speaking to some kids in the crowd trying to convert them to renegades, and they're not even thinking twice about it. Their stars for life. So it shows that these are real fans, whether you're red or green. So that's awesome for Australian cricket and Victorian cricket, and the players are no different. I play with a lot of those guys that have Victoria, but we put that aside for this month and me and HARPSI were just having a bit of banter out there. He's one of the nicest guys in Australian cricket, but there's still a little bit of words being in exchange, which is good fun.
00:03:55
Speaker 1: Is hard playing against teammates in that situation, considering particularly how well Victoria's going as a state team this year.
00:04:01
Speaker 2: To have that aage or is it just come out just the natural competition for.
00:04:07
Speaker 3: The guys my age is definitely hard. I think I always want Colors and Harps and Tommy Rodgers to go well. I think this is the one game I can comfortably put it aside, but then when I'm watching him play the next game, one hundred percent rooting for him. So yeah, I can get them, get behind them when they're not playing.
00:04:22
Speaker 2: Us, and the win from a significance.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: Don't worry about who it was against, just to almost kickstart your season.
00:04:29
Speaker 2: It's a really important game for you tonight.
00:04:31
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:04:31
Speaker 3: I think regardless of the fact that it's the Stars, it's more like it's the top of the table team and that shows that we can take it up to anyone in this competition.
00:04:39
Speaker 4: A few more tosses would be nice.
00:04:41
Speaker 3: It definitely helps batting second but our bowling has been not far off.
00:04:45
Speaker 4: It always a couple of things.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Fielding, we've made a few bozies we could have been chasing a lot less and our batting's not far off. We had that seventy five plus, which is what we've been speaking about in the chain rooms. I thought Brownie was amazing. So it's slowly it's trending in the right direction and and hopefully we take this momentum with Perth.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: Two games in a row for Josh Brown he's amazing to watch when he's in full flight as he was at Marvel and then again tonight.
00:05:09
Speaker 2: What's he like to watch?
00:05:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, he just stands so still. His power is limitless.
00:05:13
Speaker 3: I've just played two rounds of golf with him and watch him hit drives three hundred meters off of tea. It's just annoyed me for two days. And I'm happy that he went out and pretty much did the same thing, hitting line drives up the middle at the side screen. So a very powerful player, so much talent, and really happy he could play a massive role tonight.
00:05:31
Speaker 1: What did hek is achievable this year for this team. It's still relatively early in the competition, particularly for the ready games.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: You've played less games than anyone else. What do you think is possible? From him?
00:05:40
Speaker 4: Oh, I think anything's possible.
00:05:41
Speaker 3: I think five wins probably will be enough in light team competition, so we've got to win three more, but take every game as it comes. Perth is similar dimensions to this, so we can roll out a similar sort of ten plate next game and boys keep taking it one game at a time. But I think wins like this definitely give you a lot of belief and that's all you need in a short form competition.
00:06:02
Speaker 2: We'll take the mace home with you.
00:06:03
Speaker 4: Well done.
00:06:03
Speaker 1: Congratulations on not only the win, but how you finish off the game.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: It was. It was great to be hit.
00:06:09
Speaker 4: Tonight, blanks wide. He appreciate it. Thank you.
00:06:10
Speaker 1: Will Sutherland, the captain of the Melbourne Renegades and the man that hit the winning runs. Okay, so we have heard from the winning captain, Will Sutherland. The green side of things with Sam Harper, who's made more runs in the BBL than anyone this year. Sammy, thanks for joining us on the surge. It would have been better under different circumstances. But it was one hell of a night.
00:06:31
Speaker 5: Yeah, it was an amazing game of creed. I think seventy thousand people would go home talking and loving about cricket, which is a big part of this competition. So yeah, it's a cricket love for myself. Yeah, pretty unfortunately on the wrong end, but a good night a creet Absolutely.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: You've played in a lot of these and you've played for both teams. Can you believe that it's got back to those heights seventy thousand hits tonight?
00:06:54
Speaker 2: You mean you've played in a number.
00:06:55
Speaker 1: Of different you know, through COVID before COVID, so you've had all the different experiences.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: It was pretty big tonight.
00:07:02
Speaker 5: Man, It's amazing what even the last few days, knowing that there was going to be sixty or seventy thousand people, You hear the murmur and then you get their anticipation in the excitement of what could be. And then yeah, to be out there batting with Tommy Rodgers in front of seventy thousand people at the MCG.
00:07:17
Speaker 1: Was pretty cool. What's that feeling like when there's that many people there. You've played that here in front of a handful of people in shield cricket, but when there's that many there, what's.
00:07:27
Speaker 6: That like it's unreality. I mean, like any kid.
00:07:31
Speaker 5: I was grew uping one turner, playing in the backyard with my brother, and sometimes I just look out here and look around this ground and just go what a cool backyard to be playing cricket, and I just try and lap it all up. I mean, you get that excited. And yeah, obviously there's some nerves because you want to do well personally and you want the team do well. But yeah, I was pretty excited walking out to that. To be honest, it was cool feeling.
00:07:50
Speaker 1: How different is it compared to when you do it in shield cricket?
00:07:54
Speaker 2: Does it feel like a totally different place? Yeah?
00:07:57
Speaker 5: Absolutely, they're probably lying if I said it was. And you know, first and foremost how much I love the Vix and how much I love playing for the Vix and how much I care about that. But yeah, I don't think anything quite gets the heart rate going like sixty or seventy thousand people doesn't open in the batting with Tommy there?
00:08:12
Speaker 1: What was it like from an age? I was talking to Will Suthern about this earlier, about you know, the rivalry and whether it's fabricated or whether it's real. It felt real tonight, especially you guys as you were making that late charge.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: There's a fair bit of emotion out there.
00:08:26
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean were cricketers who want to win and we're all very competitive. So I was shouting when we lost to the Brisbane Heat the other night, and I'm disappointed when we lose the Renegade. But I think definitely when you get sixty or seventy thousand people here, yeah, you get so though in with thirteen or six and our captain's bond of their captain. It was almost the perfect script really, apart from it not going our way unfortunately.
00:08:47
Speaker 6: So yeah, hopefully.
00:08:49
Speaker 5: Marvel next Saturday's fact that as well we've ben put on another great game of cricket will just be on the winning side.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: What's happened in the last two games for a team that was almost faultless through the first handful of matches that the last two games in winning positions in both of them. Is anything changed or is it just the nature of T twenty cricket?
00:09:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's so funny, right, I didn't mean I always get bored to death of people asking last year yeh and five five and know what changed? It's like Fay it's just little things like if you look at Glenn Maxos last four or five games of the competition last it's pretty special to watch. He's a pretty special player when he's going and go figure you win a couple of games when he does that, he makes eighty or forty to night we probably win. So not saying that it's all on Glenn or anything, but yeah, it's t twenties fickle margins. I mean, yeah, so they hits that to deep square leag theyn eat then in a five with a bowler coming in and we win.
00:09:33
Speaker 6: So it's just such small things. We're playing great cricket again.
00:09:36
Speaker 5: We made two nds with the other night and nearly probably should have defended it. We've scrapped our way to one sort of seventy one eighty tonight again with still in a maxim, so it's good to see how the people contributing, and yeah, nearly defended it again. So we're a great group at the moment, like we're playing awesome cricket and we feel like we're set for big things.
00:09:52
Speaker 1: We talked to SIDS about this earlier on in the in the year with a surge about there's a bit more of an age.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Maybe this year.
00:09:57
Speaker 1: The motions they really there's a determination to do something special with.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: This group this year.
00:10:03
Speaker 5: Yeah, there is, Whitey, I'll be honest, Like, with four wins in the bank after six games, it's a great position to be in.
00:10:08
Speaker 6: So yeah, we want to make that six or seven.
00:10:10
Speaker 5: We want to host a final out here, to get in the final, and that's we're talking about that downstairs and changes that we're not just here making up the numbers are contending. We've got a team and a product and a style of play that we feel can beat the Hurricanes out here who won it last year, which we did a few weeks ago. So yeah, where we seriously wanted to win it.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: And your own form, as I said, you were the yellow cap to night. You've made a lot of runs. It wasn't meant to be that it was at the top of the ore, even though you've done it so successfully in the past.
00:10:36
Speaker 2: How proud are you of what you've been.
00:10:38
Speaker 1: Able to do when you've got given that opportunity through you know, the circumstances with Tommy getting injured at the start of the tournament.
00:10:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm Wirdy, I mean, work hard at my batting many of times in the winter months from working on game plans and shots and things that you hope that when you come out in the pressure moments they come off. So certainly the last few weeks has felt like a nice little bit of reward for that. Yeah, and only when you get real self belief, like you don't walk up to the ground hoping to make runs. You want to go out there and I want to win the game for the Melbourn Stars of my own bat sometimes. So, Yeah, the SCG was special in boxing day to make one hundred in front of that crowd, and when it's the game, that's why we play crick and that's what you do all the hard work for. So and then the other thing, Whitey is just keeping it so simple, like I feel like I'm not predetermining what shot I want to play. You've probably noticed a few ramps and scoops and high risk shots earlier go on. I just feel like I've got access all over the ground to just play good shots and that's what I'm trying to do.
00:11:28
Speaker 1: So often batters talk about being in a like a flow state that it's all happening without having to think about it too much. Is that how you feel about your game at the moment, or is it more the changes you've made that have seen you do as well as you've done this year.
00:11:42
Speaker 5: I think Whitey I targeted having access to the off side and the leg side powerfully, so hopefully that makes it hard to bowl to you when you can score both sides. And then I've worked entirely with Benning roy on my swing down the ground, like the one off grinned tonight, hoping that teams might go he loves pulling, will come full and then sort of feels like a step hit, so like, I feel like I've got most bases covered there when I'm back in my swinger, not trying to overhit the ball.
00:12:05
Speaker 6: If they come full, how good.
00:12:06
Speaker 5: And then if they give me a cutter of pull, like, I feel like I've got sort of those three areas of the ground covered. So hopefully, yeah, hopefully it's hard to vault it.
00:12:12
Speaker 2: And then the last one on yourself when you got the chance at the top of the order.
00:12:15
Speaker 1: Again, was it yes, I know I'm ready for this, or was it you know, I'm going to prove people, but I should have been doing it at the start of the tournament because I know how well you've been doing for Victoria through the start of the year, so I knew that was in you. I'll be interesting in your mindset from when that chance.
00:12:32
Speaker 5: Came probably WHYDI initially I look at someone like a Muslim Reeks and see what he's done at that number four position for the sixers, and when I first found out I was going to betting four. As you followed our stuff this year, I've really enjoyed the role of six and coming in at four down and what the game presents. So I was initially excited for that, and I think Tommy Rodgers in the next few games is going to do something that people are going to find pretty cool. I feel like he's batten really well at the moment, he just hasn't quite got away and then you're unfortunate with that knee adelaide over with a fifty meter boundary in your lips when you get to open out there and then just roll that into Sydney. I was really happy in Camera's a bit of a differentings for me, but it felt like a mature innings that I probably wouldn't have played few years ago, would have tried to match Joey Clark instaid, I just played Robin to his batman and just played.
00:13:13
Speaker 6: I just hope people watching just go and he's playing a good, smart cricket.
00:13:15
Speaker 5: That's at the end of the day. Our job as a bad as the school run. So I'm just trying to score as many runs as i can.
00:13:20
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us, so I know it's stuff after a loss, but especially the insights for young cricketers they're watching that might pick be able to pick up something from the way you've spoken soone and see about your angame.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Really appreciate it.
00:13:29
Speaker 6: Yeah, easy, Warty anytime.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Sam Harper joining us. Unfortunately on the losing side tonight.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: They get to do it again next week and another derby, this time at Marble Stadium.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: I hope you've enjoyed the super over tonight of the Surge.
00:13:41
Speaker 1: We'll catch you again with the next episode back in the studio with Mike Hussey.
00:13:44
Speaker 2: We'll catch you again there
Speaker 1: This episode of the Surge is brought to you by Origin, proud partners of Cricket Australia and powering the Power Surge in BBL fifteen.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Caay everyone, and welcome to the Surge.
00:00:15
Speaker 1: Here from the MCG where we had seventy thousand people here to watch the Melbourne Derby and we had one man live out a dream in front of a packed MCG hitting the winning run. And see's the captain of the Renegades. His name is Will Sutherland. You've just done something very special, Will.
00:00:31
Speaker 3: Yeah, what, It's still pretty surreal at the moment, a bit lost the words obviously dream come true for mine as a Melbourne boy. To play in front of this many people is amazing, let alone to be able to play a part in a win for the Renegades at the end. So I'm incredibly pumped and I hope this sort of kickstarts our season for the Gates.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: We'll talk about from a season point of view in a moment.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: But you've been sitting in the seats watching your cats or watching Australia play growing up so many times in front of a packed house. Here's to be out there in the middle hitting those winning runs the feeling, what's.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: It like, Well, it's imagine it's about as close I'm going to get to play an AFL. So it's pretty cool from that point of view. Even walking out the race and saying this many people tonight was amazing. Just trying to be clear out there and not get overawed by the moment.
00:01:18
Speaker 4: Because you know, it was pretty special.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: So I'm incredibly happy for you know, I was a cricket that so many people turned out and yeah, I'll still pinch myself at the moment, a bit lost the words, but it was a lot of fun.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: So are you thinking about the amount of people that are that are watching you in that moment that hundreds of thousands on television or can you get locked into just focusing on that white ball?
00:01:39
Speaker 4: But I think I did pretty well tonight.
00:01:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's as simple as that, just trying to watch the ball and react and hit it where it's supposed to go. There's definitely in between balls things are coming into your mind all the time, like you know, all my mates are watching or has that.
00:01:54
Speaker 4: Many people here?
00:01:54
Speaker 3: But just got to go back to your process and then be really clear and right when the ball's getting released and.
00:02:02
Speaker 1: I know, you want to bat higher up the order if you can, but that role in that sort of seven or eight spot where you have to come in and.
00:02:09
Speaker 2: Potentially hit a six off the first ball you face.
00:02:11
Speaker 1: But to go out and close out the game like that, it's not an easy thing to do.
00:02:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, I probably haven't done myself any favors tonight, but I even said the Whitey tonight, can I get up to five here if we take the surge? But that got shut down, So not really getting up there anytime soon.
00:02:26
Speaker 4: But it's what I've done.
00:02:27
Speaker 3: Most of my white ball batting around has been able to hit from ball one, so I was happy I was able to do it tonight. And I'll bet anywhere for the Renegade as long as I can play a role and whatever's best for the team.
00:02:37
Speaker 1: Now you've got that mace, that very heavy mace that was handed out to you in the middle of the ground. There was a fair bit of feeling in the game tonight, especially from some of the elder boys were in Green.
00:02:49
Speaker 2: It got quite tense.
00:02:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, they were certainly up and about when they took that flurry of wickets there. But that's what it's all about. I reckon it's definitely a real rivalry and that got showed tonight. I think I've said some things that I didn't even realize what I was saying because you're that fired up. But it shows it's real. The crowd, I think, knows it's real. That's why so many people show up. And it was pretty cool to have Jackson Morn come out and present the mace to me on the MCJ.
00:03:13
Speaker 4: That was a big moment for myself.
00:03:15
Speaker 2: I think you're right.
00:03:16
Speaker 1: The fact that seventy thousand people turned out does kind of legitimize the clash and the rivalry a little bit, and then when the games play with that sort of intensity, it felt real.
00:03:25
Speaker 2: Definitely felt real tonight.
00:03:26
Speaker 4: Definitely.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: I've speaking to some kids in the crowd trying to convert them to renegades, and they're not even thinking twice about it. Their stars for life. So it shows that these are real fans, whether you're red or green. So that's awesome for Australian cricket and Victorian cricket, and the players are no different. I play with a lot of those guys that have Victoria, but we put that aside for this month and me and HARPSI were just having a bit of banter out there. He's one of the nicest guys in Australian cricket, but there's still a little bit of words being in exchange, which is good fun.
00:03:55
Speaker 1: Is hard playing against teammates in that situation, considering particularly how well Victoria's going as a state team this year.
00:04:01
Speaker 2: To have that aage or is it just come out just the natural competition for.
00:04:07
Speaker 3: The guys my age is definitely hard. I think I always want Colors and Harps and Tommy Rodgers to go well. I think this is the one game I can comfortably put it aside, but then when I'm watching him play the next game, one hundred percent rooting for him. So yeah, I can get them, get behind them when they're not playing.
00:04:22
Speaker 2: Us, and the win from a significance.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: Don't worry about who it was against, just to almost kickstart your season.
00:04:29
Speaker 2: It's a really important game for you tonight.
00:04:31
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:04:31
Speaker 3: I think regardless of the fact that it's the Stars, it's more like it's the top of the table team and that shows that we can take it up to anyone in this competition.
00:04:39
Speaker 4: A few more tosses would be nice.
00:04:41
Speaker 3: It definitely helps batting second but our bowling has been not far off.
00:04:45
Speaker 4: It always a couple of things.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Fielding, we've made a few bozies we could have been chasing a lot less and our batting's not far off. We had that seventy five plus, which is what we've been speaking about in the chain rooms. I thought Brownie was amazing. So it's slowly it's trending in the right direction and and hopefully we take this momentum with Perth.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: Two games in a row for Josh Brown he's amazing to watch when he's in full flight as he was at Marvel and then again tonight.
00:05:09
Speaker 2: What's he like to watch?
00:05:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, he just stands so still. His power is limitless.
00:05:13
Speaker 3: I've just played two rounds of golf with him and watch him hit drives three hundred meters off of tea. It's just annoyed me for two days. And I'm happy that he went out and pretty much did the same thing, hitting line drives up the middle at the side screen. So a very powerful player, so much talent, and really happy he could play a massive role tonight.
00:05:31
Speaker 1: What did hek is achievable this year for this team. It's still relatively early in the competition, particularly for the ready games.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: You've played less games than anyone else. What do you think is possible? From him?
00:05:40
Speaker 4: Oh, I think anything's possible.
00:05:41
Speaker 3: I think five wins probably will be enough in light team competition, so we've got to win three more, but take every game as it comes. Perth is similar dimensions to this, so we can roll out a similar sort of ten plate next game and boys keep taking it one game at a time. But I think wins like this definitely give you a lot of belief and that's all you need in a short form competition.
00:06:02
Speaker 2: We'll take the mace home with you.
00:06:03
Speaker 4: Well done.
00:06:03
Speaker 1: Congratulations on not only the win, but how you finish off the game.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: It was. It was great to be hit.
00:06:09
Speaker 4: Tonight, blanks wide. He appreciate it. Thank you.
00:06:10
Speaker 1: Will Sutherland, the captain of the Melbourne Renegades and the man that hit the winning runs. Okay, so we have heard from the winning captain, Will Sutherland. The green side of things with Sam Harper, who's made more runs in the BBL than anyone this year. Sammy, thanks for joining us on the surge. It would have been better under different circumstances. But it was one hell of a night.
00:06:31
Speaker 5: Yeah, it was an amazing game of creed. I think seventy thousand people would go home talking and loving about cricket, which is a big part of this competition. So yeah, it's a cricket love for myself. Yeah, pretty unfortunately on the wrong end, but a good night a creet Absolutely.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: You've played in a lot of these and you've played for both teams. Can you believe that it's got back to those heights seventy thousand hits tonight?
00:06:54
Speaker 2: You mean you've played in a number.
00:06:55
Speaker 1: Of different you know, through COVID before COVID, so you've had all the different experiences.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: It was pretty big tonight.
00:07:02
Speaker 5: Man, It's amazing what even the last few days, knowing that there was going to be sixty or seventy thousand people, You hear the murmur and then you get their anticipation in the excitement of what could be. And then yeah, to be out there batting with Tommy Rodgers in front of seventy thousand people at the MCG.
00:07:17
Speaker 1: Was pretty cool. What's that feeling like when there's that many people there. You've played that here in front of a handful of people in shield cricket, but when there's that many there, what's.
00:07:27
Speaker 6: That like it's unreality. I mean, like any kid.
00:07:31
Speaker 5: I was grew uping one turner, playing in the backyard with my brother, and sometimes I just look out here and look around this ground and just go what a cool backyard to be playing cricket, and I just try and lap it all up. I mean, you get that excited. And yeah, obviously there's some nerves because you want to do well personally and you want the team do well. But yeah, I was pretty excited walking out to that. To be honest, it was cool feeling.
00:07:50
Speaker 1: How different is it compared to when you do it in shield cricket?
00:07:54
Speaker 2: Does it feel like a totally different place? Yeah?
00:07:57
Speaker 5: Absolutely, they're probably lying if I said it was. And you know, first and foremost how much I love the Vix and how much I love playing for the Vix and how much I care about that. But yeah, I don't think anything quite gets the heart rate going like sixty or seventy thousand people doesn't open in the batting with Tommy there?
00:08:12
Speaker 1: What was it like from an age? I was talking to Will Suthern about this earlier, about you know, the rivalry and whether it's fabricated or whether it's real. It felt real tonight, especially you guys as you were making that late charge.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: There's a fair bit of emotion out there.
00:08:26
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean were cricketers who want to win and we're all very competitive. So I was shouting when we lost to the Brisbane Heat the other night, and I'm disappointed when we lose the Renegade. But I think definitely when you get sixty or seventy thousand people here, yeah, you get so though in with thirteen or six and our captain's bond of their captain. It was almost the perfect script really, apart from it not going our way unfortunately.
00:08:47
Speaker 6: So yeah, hopefully.
00:08:49
Speaker 5: Marvel next Saturday's fact that as well we've ben put on another great game of cricket will just be on the winning side.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: What's happened in the last two games for a team that was almost faultless through the first handful of matches that the last two games in winning positions in both of them. Is anything changed or is it just the nature of T twenty cricket?
00:09:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's so funny, right, I didn't mean I always get bored to death of people asking last year yeh and five five and know what changed? It's like Fay it's just little things like if you look at Glenn Maxos last four or five games of the competition last it's pretty special to watch. He's a pretty special player when he's going and go figure you win a couple of games when he does that, he makes eighty or forty to night we probably win. So not saying that it's all on Glenn or anything, but yeah, it's t twenties fickle margins. I mean, yeah, so they hits that to deep square leag theyn eat then in a five with a bowler coming in and we win.
00:09:33
Speaker 6: So it's just such small things. We're playing great cricket again.
00:09:36
Speaker 5: We made two nds with the other night and nearly probably should have defended it. We've scrapped our way to one sort of seventy one eighty tonight again with still in a maxim, so it's good to see how the people contributing, and yeah, nearly defended it again. So we're a great group at the moment, like we're playing awesome cricket and we feel like we're set for big things.
00:09:52
Speaker 1: We talked to SIDS about this earlier on in the in the year with a surge about there's a bit more of an age.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Maybe this year.
00:09:57
Speaker 1: The motions they really there's a determination to do something special with.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: This group this year.
00:10:03
Speaker 5: Yeah, there is, Whitey, I'll be honest, Like, with four wins in the bank after six games, it's a great position to be in.
00:10:08
Speaker 6: So yeah, we want to make that six or seven.
00:10:10
Speaker 5: We want to host a final out here, to get in the final, and that's we're talking about that downstairs and changes that we're not just here making up the numbers are contending. We've got a team and a product and a style of play that we feel can beat the Hurricanes out here who won it last year, which we did a few weeks ago. So yeah, where we seriously wanted to win it.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: And your own form, as I said, you were the yellow cap to night. You've made a lot of runs. It wasn't meant to be that it was at the top of the ore, even though you've done it so successfully in the past.
00:10:36
Speaker 2: How proud are you of what you've been.
00:10:38
Speaker 1: Able to do when you've got given that opportunity through you know, the circumstances with Tommy getting injured at the start of the tournament.
00:10:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm Wirdy, I mean, work hard at my batting many of times in the winter months from working on game plans and shots and things that you hope that when you come out in the pressure moments they come off. So certainly the last few weeks has felt like a nice little bit of reward for that. Yeah, and only when you get real self belief, like you don't walk up to the ground hoping to make runs. You want to go out there and I want to win the game for the Melbourn Stars of my own bat sometimes. So, Yeah, the SCG was special in boxing day to make one hundred in front of that crowd, and when it's the game, that's why we play crick and that's what you do all the hard work for. So and then the other thing, Whitey is just keeping it so simple, like I feel like I'm not predetermining what shot I want to play. You've probably noticed a few ramps and scoops and high risk shots earlier go on. I just feel like I've got access all over the ground to just play good shots and that's what I'm trying to do.
00:11:28
Speaker 1: So often batters talk about being in a like a flow state that it's all happening without having to think about it too much. Is that how you feel about your game at the moment, or is it more the changes you've made that have seen you do as well as you've done this year.
00:11:42
Speaker 5: I think Whitey I targeted having access to the off side and the leg side powerfully, so hopefully that makes it hard to bowl to you when you can score both sides. And then I've worked entirely with Benning roy on my swing down the ground, like the one off grinned tonight, hoping that teams might go he loves pulling, will come full and then sort of feels like a step hit, so like, I feel like I've got most bases covered there when I'm back in my swinger, not trying to overhit the ball.
00:12:05
Speaker 6: If they come full, how good.
00:12:06
Speaker 5: And then if they give me a cutter of pull, like, I feel like I've got sort of those three areas of the ground covered. So hopefully, yeah, hopefully it's hard to vault it.
00:12:12
Speaker 2: And then the last one on yourself when you got the chance at the top of the order.
00:12:15
Speaker 1: Again, was it yes, I know I'm ready for this, or was it you know, I'm going to prove people, but I should have been doing it at the start of the tournament because I know how well you've been doing for Victoria through the start of the year, so I knew that was in you. I'll be interesting in your mindset from when that chance.
00:12:32
Speaker 5: Came probably WHYDI initially I look at someone like a Muslim Reeks and see what he's done at that number four position for the sixers, and when I first found out I was going to betting four. As you followed our stuff this year, I've really enjoyed the role of six and coming in at four down and what the game presents. So I was initially excited for that, and I think Tommy Rodgers in the next few games is going to do something that people are going to find pretty cool. I feel like he's batten really well at the moment, he just hasn't quite got away and then you're unfortunate with that knee adelaide over with a fifty meter boundary in your lips when you get to open out there and then just roll that into Sydney. I was really happy in Camera's a bit of a differentings for me, but it felt like a mature innings that I probably wouldn't have played few years ago, would have tried to match Joey Clark instaid, I just played Robin to his batman and just played.
00:13:13
Speaker 6: I just hope people watching just go and he's playing a good, smart cricket.
00:13:15
Speaker 5: That's at the end of the day. Our job as a bad as the school run. So I'm just trying to score as many runs as i can.
00:13:20
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us, so I know it's stuff after a loss, but especially the insights for young cricketers they're watching that might pick be able to pick up something from the way you've spoken soone and see about your angame.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Really appreciate it.
00:13:29
Speaker 6: Yeah, easy, Warty anytime.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Sam Harper joining us. Unfortunately on the losing side tonight.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: They get to do it again next week and another derby, this time at Marble Stadium.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: I hope you've enjoyed the super over tonight of the Surge.
00:13:41
Speaker 1: We'll catch you again with the next episode back in the studio with Mike Hussey.
00:13:44
Speaker 2: We'll catch you again there