So it has proved. On Saturday night at Marvel Stadium, the Renegades’ batsmen were unable to provide adequate support for a terrific bowling and fielding performance as the hosts fell to their first loss of the season.

Having won the toss and elected to field, the Renegades restricted the Sydney Sixers to a modest 7-132. It didn’t appear to be a winning score, but in the end it was more than enough.

The depleted Renegades’ top order flopped and unlike in their first two games of the season against the Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers, there were no heroes down the list either.

Melbourne’s red side was undone by the off-spin of Sixers debutant Ben Manenti, who took 2-13 from four overs as an already laboured Renegades chase ground to a halt, finishing at 9-99.

The Renegades had a debutant of their own in the form of exciting teenage batsman Mackenzie Harvey.

It wasn’t his fault the Renegades went down, indeed, he built a tidy innings of 30 before being bowled by Manenti.

However Harvey didn’t have anywhere near enough support. Experienced quartet Cameron White (one), Tom Cooper (13), Mohammad Nabi (eight) and last weekend’s hero Dan Christian (three) all missed out.

Then there is gloveman Tim Ludeman, who at present is arguably better known for his comical impersonations than batting.

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Ludeman has just 20 runs in three innings as a makeshift opener this season. With Harris and Finch absent, the Renegades badly need more from the former Adelaide big-hitter.

For just how much of this summer the Renegades will need two fill-in openers remains to be seen.

Finch’s spot in the Test team looks very shaky, and while the Renegades will be without him during the brief one-day series against India that follows the Sydney Test, his position in the Australian side for the two ensuing Tests against Sri Lanka looks far from assured.

The Renegades bowlers deserved better, as they are doing a terrific job at stopping their opponents from finding the boundary.

Nine days earlier it was the Scorchers who were bundled out for 103. This time the Sixers managed just two fours and one six in the first 14 overs of their innings.

Late flourishes from Josh Phillippe (20 from 13 balls) and Tom Curran (23 not out from 15) were ultimately pivotal.

England all-rounder Curran backed it up with the ball too, keeping things tight and taking multiple wickets, as did Sixers mainstays Steve O’Keefe and Sean Abbott.