Adelaide: Adelaide Strikers defeated the Sydney Sixers in their first game of the season. The three-time champion Sixers fell short of 51 runs to give the Strikers a tournament lead.
The forwards elected to bat first after captain Peter Siddle won the toss. Batting first, Matt Short and Chris Lynn took the helm after Jake Weatherald departed in the first over. Matt Short and Lynn maintained a consistent 95-run partnership. However, Lynn fell to a delivery from Ishraqulhaq. However, English player Adam Hose took over. He quickly fired 40 runs from 22 deliveries at a massive strike rate of 181.22.
Matt Short scored 84 of 53 to lead the innings. Big Bash’s leading wicket-taker Sean Abbott added three more wickets to his existing tally. The Strikers put together a score of 184/6, setting a target of 185 for the defending runners-up.
Chasing a good target, Henry Thronton foiled the Sixers’ opening by taking key wickets from Kurtis Patterson and James Vince. After the initial consternation, the Sixers soared but couldn’t keep up. Constant wickets threatened the team. Rashid Khan and Henry Thronton made sure of that by removing three and four wickets each. Strikers hitters Josh Philippe, Captain Henriquez and Jordan Silk tried to build but failed. At long last, the Sixers finished their magically boring innings at 133, less than 51 runs.
Adelaide Strikers opening batsman Matt Short was named Man of the Match for his batting classics. The 27-year-old scored 84 runs from 53 balls, including 13 caps. The innings also marked him as the first batter to pass 50 in this BBL Tournament. Furthermore, he bowled two overs at an economic rate of 6.5 wicketless.
The win pushed Strikers to the helm of the table above Sydney’s other team – Thunders. The Sixers will play their main rivals Perth Scorchers in their next game. The Strikers will take on the Sydney Thunders on Friday.
Also read: Big Bash League 12: Thunder defeat Stars in last-ball thriller of inaugural tournament
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