Scorched Perth!

The pacy Optus Stadium pitch upended traditional notions of bat dominating ball in T20s, making for enjoyable viewing

- Partha.Bhaduri

Adelaide: Bas de Leede will sport scars from Sunday’s Optus Stadium misadventure for the rest of his life, but just a day later, the Netherlands cricketer can afford a sheepish grin as he waits to board his flight at Perth airport.

The injury below his right eye, courtesy Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, looks even more ghastly up close. Bas can hardly see through the eye yet, but his hands instinctively re-enact the pull shot which failed him. “I tried to pull, but the ball was too fast. The pitch was too pacy,” he says.

It was, in fact, a nightmare of an over. Imagine the sixth over of Netherlands’ innings. De Leede fronts up to Rauf only to be greeted by a 147kph scorcher angling in. The batter somehow parries it off. The second ball is too fast to work off the pads and hits him on the body. Third ball, beaten by pace. Fourth ball, fuller and played well. The fifth ball rears up like a Balrog from the deep, and as a foolhardy De Leede attempts the pull shot, he gets hit on the grille just below the right eye by a 142kph missile.