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Matt Kuhnemann is in serious doubt for the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka after the recalled spinner hurt his thumb playing for the Brisbane Heat.
The left-arm orthodox spinner ran from the ground in agony on Thursday night after attempting to field a Matthew Wade straight drive off his own bowling.
The injury occurred to his non-bowling right hand but appeared to be significant and left Heat and Test teammate Marnus Labuschagne visibly distressed post-game.
“I just heard about Matt Kuhnemann, so that’s pretty bad,” he told AAP.
“Thumb … it doesn’t look great. I really feel for him.”
The 28-year-old is due to fly out to Dubai for a pre-Test training camp alongside Labuschagne on Sunday.
His absence would increase the prospect of a shock debut for allrounder Cooper Connolly.
The West Australian left-armer spins the ball away from the right-hander like Kuhnemann and is highly rated by Steve Smith – interim captain in Sri Lanka – despite not yet owning a first-class wicket.
Right-arm off-spinners Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy are already part of the touring party.
Uncapped West Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, NSW leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha and Swepson are among those pushing for a late call-up to the squad if Kuhnemann is ruled out.
Kuhnemann played three Tests in Australia’s 2023 tour of India, his style proving effective in sub-continental conditions as he claimed nine wickets, including 5-16 in the second Test.
Starved of Sheffield Shield opportunities given he was stuck behind leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson at Queensland, Kuhnemann opted to move to Tasmania this season.
It paid off, his 18 wickets in six games the most of any spinner in the competition as he pressed his case for a spot in the XI in Galle later this month.
“It’s someone I’m close to and he’s grown so much with his bowling and in Sri Lanka, he’s probably one of the first picked over there,” Labuschagne said.
“I’m really gutted.”
Labuschagne tuned up for the tour with a BBL-best 77 from 44 balls, anchoring the innings before Hobart chased down their 201-run target on the final ball.
“I’m pretty confident, clear on my plans for how I’ll go about it,” he said of the spin test awaiting.
“So it’s about cleaning that up in Dubai first.
“You can’t put your finger down on one thing; you need different options because in the subcontinent, you hit one good sweep and there’s two or three guys out there.
“So you trust your defence, trust your sweep and your game and mix it all together.”
An electrical fire in the Gabba DJ booth couldn’t stop Hobart’s final-ball win that took Brisbane’s Big Bash League finals hopes out of their hands.
Chasing the Heat’s 6-201, Matthew Wade hit a six when he needed just one off the final ball in Brisbane on a Thursday-night chase delayed by more than 10 minutes by a roaring fire.
With the Hurricanes 0-47 from four overs and hurtling towards the target, players could only stand and watch as staff attempted to quell the flames on a stage below the Gabba scoreboard for more than 10 minutes.
Eventually they succeeded and once the smoke cleared, Caleb Jewell (76 off 49), Mitch Owen (44 off 20) and Nikhil Chaudhary (39 off 27) hit their straps with some help from sloppy Heat fielding.
Twice, Nathan McSweeney misjudged catches on the boundary while import wicketkeeper Tom Alsop dropped a regulation edge and then let through four byes just as the Heat were applying pressure in the power surge.
Spencer Johnson (3-26) still dragged the hosts back into the contest though, picking up Tim David in the penultimate over and leaving the Hurricanes needing 11 off the final six balls from Xavier Bartlett.
Matthew Wade took three off the first two deliveries before Jake Doran squeezed a top edge past third man for four.
Doran’s scoop then landed safely as he scrambled another couple.
They then rushed a single before Wade tucked a low full toss over square leg for six to seal the win.
“I didn’t know what was going on, just saw the crowd going off,” Jewell told AAP of the fire.
“We would have lost not only that one but a few others in previous seasons. They haven’t been pretty but we’re finding a way and happy to be.”
The loss leaves the Heat (3-5) needing to beat Melbourne Renegades on Saturday and relying on other results to ensure a finals berth, while the Hurricanes’ (7-1) first-place pursuit remains on track.
“We haven’t spoken much about finals, probably going to have to now,” Jewell said.
“But we’re hosting a home final either way, so Hobart’s up and about.”
The Heat came out of the blocks well thanks to returning Test opener Usman Khawaja (23 off eight balls), Marnus Labuschagne then the steady hand as Matt Renshaw (40 off 25) continued his barnstorming form.
The left-hander’s risky second run backfired, Tim David’s outfield throw catching him just short.
Tom Alsop (39 off 27) took up the task and Labuschagne accelerated in a boundary-laden power surge to notch his highest BBL score.
The Test No.3 was out off the final ball of the innings, days before departing for the tour of Sri Lanka via a Dubai training camp.
“To come in and have an impact in one game is satisfying but to not win, it feels a bit irrelevant,” Labuschagne told AAP.
“Thought we did enough with the bat but we lost small moments … fielding cost us.”
© AAP
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