‘Nervous’ Bancroft struggles on BBL return from ball-tampering ban

Bancroft’s first Big Bash League game of the season was hotly anticipated. He is the first of the trio banned for their involvement in March's ball-tampering scandal to return, with his punishment excluding him for nine months, while former Australian captains Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for a year.

He entered with his team, Perth Scorchers, in some strife at 16/3, and though he scored a couple off his first delivery back, he could do little to halt the slide, edging his third ball, a fast, seaming delivery from highly-rated youngster Riley Meredith, behind.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said Bancroft was “really really nervous” before the game started.

“He was a little bit worried about the pace these boys might be bowling at him as he’s only played club cricket for the past few months,” he said. “He said to me that even going out on this wicket he’s sure everything was going feel like it’s a Test match at the WACA.”

Through Australian internationals Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright and Nathan Coulter-Nile, Scorchers rallied to pass three figures, but their eventual 107/8 never seemed like it would be enough.

It was more international class from the Hurricanes which saw them home. D’Arcy Short made 34 to go with two wickets earlier in the piece, captain Matthew Wade struck 24 before falling to a diving catch by Bancroft, while Alex Doolan, who played four Tests for Australia in 2014, top-scored with an unbeaten 41.

Bancroft took a second catch, this one a regulation edge from George Bailey off Coulter-Nile, while Agar’s 2/19 slowed Hurricanes up a little, but Scorchers still slumped to a six-wicket defeat with 15 balls remaining.

The Scorchers and Bancroft will next be in action on Wednesday 2 January 2019 when they take on Sydney Thunder.