Ambidextrous Spinner Shines for Tasmania as BBL Power Hitters Rack Up Centuries

Nivethan Radhakrishnan may not be in the spotlight, but his unique ambidextrous bowling skills were on full display during a domestic one-day match on Sunday. This rarely seen talent continued to make waves in Australian cricket.

In the same game at Adelaide Oval, Tasmania faced off against South Australia, where Melbourne Renegades’ promising player Mackenzie Harvey dazzled spectators with a remarkable innings of 129 runs from 118 balls. Not to be outdone, BBL final standout Mitch Owen also notched up a century for himself.

Making his debut in Australia’s premier domestic 50-over competition, Radhakrishnan claimed two wickets, predominantly utilising his left-arm orthodox bowling style, though he also showcased his right-arm off-spin abilities.

In the 33rd over, the 22-year-old sent South Australia’s Daniel Drew packing for 63 runs, dislodging his off-stump with a well-executed left-arm delivery that beat the batsman’s defence.

Radhakrishnan’s skill continued to impress as he claimed another wicket in the 43rd over, where a left-arm delivery crept through the gap between batter Ben Manenti’s bat and front pad, dismissing him for just 2 runs.

He concluded his impressive spell with figures of 2-61 from his allotted 10 overs, while the Redbacks set a total of 9-329.

Originally hailing from India, Radhakrishnan moved to Sydney back in 2013, playing for various clubs before joining Cricket Tasmania four years ago.

He has participated in four first-class matches for Tasmania and was part of the Cricket Australia XI that took on the England Lions in Brisbane earlier this January.

In the past, he also served as a net bowler for the Delhi Capitals during Ricky Ponting’s tenure as coach of the IPL side.

Radhakrishnan demonstrated his prowess at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, where he took home the man of the match award after scoring 66 and taking 3-31, leading Australia to victory in the third-place playoff against Afghanistan.

In the one-day match at Adelaide Oval, Harvey blasted 14 fours and four sixes during his innings of 129, showcasing his formidable batting skills.

This match saw Owen scoring his second List A century and repeating the feat for the summer. Shortly after establishing himself as the joint fastest player to reach a century in BBL history during the tournament final, Owen unleashed a stunning 149 runs off just 69 deliveries at Adelaide Oval.

Now 23, the aggressive opener proved he has a bright future ahead, unleashing 14 fours and 10 sixes, and needing only 48 balls to achieve his maiden List A century.