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Melbourne Renegades Win In The Most Bizarre Ending To A BBL Match Yet

So. Much. Action.
Bradley Kanaris via Getty Images

This is almost guaranteed to be the most bizarre ending to a cricket match in the Big Bash League (BBL) that you will see all year.

The Melbourne Renegades have kept their finals story alive in the BBL 06 by beating the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Friday night by one run. But it's the way that one run came about that will really get you interested.

Let us set the scene for you.

After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Heat struggled with Renegades openers Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch who managed to score 48 and 71 runs respectively.

After 20 overs and only five wickets down the Renegades left the Heat chasing a respectable total of 199, and they got straight down to business on their home turf.

While there were some problems at the tail-end with three ducks going to Jack Wildermuth, Nick Buchanan and Mitchell Swepson, skipper Brendon McCullum was the standout with 64 runs off 40 balls.

And then the final over came with the Renegades' Nathan Rimmington handed the ball, and this is where it got bizarre.

We'll let you watch the chaos that was, below.

At 7/183, the Heat needed 17 runs off the final six balls for the win, although that changed pretty quickly after Joe Burns hit two sixes off the first two balls. Five runs needed off four balls.

With the next two balls, Burns was caught out off a mishit and Rimmington bowled a wide. Four runs left off three balls.

And it gets weirder.

Off the third-last ball, Nick Buchanan was run-out after some Aaron Finch fielding mastery and then Rimmington bowled another wide. Yep, another one. That left the equation at three runs needed off two balls.

A dot ball came next, three off one with the Heat at 9/197. And then off the final ball, Rimmington bowled ANOTHER wide as Mitchell Swepson scrambled towards a run, only to be run out at the opposite end of the pitch.

The catch -- Swepson didn't actually need to run with the ball being bowled wide. If he had stayed, he would've been gifted another delivery and another chance to win the game.

Alas, that left the equation done and dusted with the Renegades taking the win by just one run, but hey -- at least the last over was as entertaining as it gets!

If there was any doubt the BBL is rapidly becoming the most action-packed, popular version of cricket in Australia, this should clear it up.

You just don't get this many cricket-related heart palpitations in any other form of the game.

Match

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