Nothing was going to stop Dan Christian.
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Not wily legspinner Rashid Khan. Not towering paceman Billy Stanlake.
Not even a dodgy prawn that saw Christian hospitalised with gastro on the morning of the Melbourne Renegades' five-wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday.
Christian thumped five sixes, including an absolute monster which sailed high into Adelaide Oval's famous Sir Donald Bradman Pavillion in his unbeaten 49 off 27 balls which stunned the Strikers.
Barely twelve hours earlier, Christian was in a hospital bed receiving a saline jab to help his sick stomach.
"I was a bit crook this morning, I had a bit of gastro," he said.
"I went in for a bit of hydration and a jab to stop myself from being sick.
"(It was caused by) a dodgy prawn, I think. I didn't feel great after dinner last night then woke up pretty rough about 4(am) this morning and got to hospital about 7.30-8(am).
"I slept all afternoon but was fine by the time the game started."
By the time the match finished though, it was the Strikers who were feeling worse for wear after Christian and Afghanistan import Mohammad Nabi (48 not out) blasted 96 between them in eight electric overs to rip the contest away from the home side.
The escalating asking rate was never a concern for Christian, who has thrived as a Twenty20 specialist with the Renegades, Notts Outlaws (England) and Jozi Stars (South Africa) after giving away four-day cricket at the end of last summer.
"Once it (required rate) gets up around 15-16 (per over) you start to panic a bit but anything under 12 we were pretty confident we could get," he said.
"You only need one boundary an over and to run really well.
"You'll generally get a big over anyway - we were lucky enough it was the 19th."
Australian Associated Press
