Darren Berry has slammed defending Big Bash League champions Sydney Thunder’s fielding display in their comprehensive defeat to rivals Sydney Sixers on Tuesday night.
The Thunder lost by nine wickets, with Sixers pair Moises Henriques and Daniel Hughes hitting an unbeaten 76 and 54 respectively to give their side a comfortable victory.
Berry labelled the Thunder’s fielding display hopeless, and believes it signals bad things to come for the BBL05 champions.
“They were hopeless and that cost them the match,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“They have too many old, ordinary fielders and what I witnessed last night - gee they might be in trouble.
“Fielding can be the difference in Twenty20.”
Berry was particularly critical of the performance of fast bowler Clinton McKay, who dropped a catch that could have seen Henriques out in the first ball of the Sixers’ innings.
“Clinton McKay, he’s been a wonderful cricketer and a good friend of mine…he was like a donkey in the field last night,” he said.
“It was a pretty costly drop.”
Fawad Ahmed and Ben Rohrer also drew criticism from the former Victorian wicketkeeper, who believes that no cricket team can hide more than one poorly performing fielder.
“Fawad Ahmed, a fantastic leg-spinner but an old bloke that doesn’t move that well. Benny Rohrer for the Thunder, who is normally pretty good, was fumbling and misfielding," said Berry.
“You’ve got to put them in the least popular positions where the ball doesn’t go, but in Twenty20 that’s hard because they go all over the shop.”