What could've been? Missed opportunity as Strikers star duo go ...
The Adelaide Strikers’ season has a pulse after they snapped a four-game losing streak with a backs-against-the-wall win against the Perth Scorchers, Matt Short belting an unbeaten half-century in a comprehensive nine-wicket victory at Adelaide Oval.
The Strikers were bottom of the table with just one win heading into Friday night’s clash, which came just 48 hours after the red-hot Scorchers took Adelaide’s bowlers down for a total of 211 in a 42-run win at Optus Stadium.
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But they kept their faint finals hopes alive with a much-improved bowling display that restricted the Scorchers to their lowest total of the season, the Strikers chasing down the modest target with 23 balls to spare to inflict Perth’s first loss of the season.
Matt Short increased his lead at the top of the Golden Bat standings with his fifth half-century of a dominant campaign, the impressive display including seven fours and four sixes.
POWERPLAY PUNCH
With 154 runs required, the Short boys blasted 55 runs from the first four overs to record the highest Powerplay score of the season.
But it could have been a much different story with Matt Short given a life off the first ball of the innings.
Short swung hard at Jason Behrendorff’s opening delivery but only got enough bat on it to send it sailing to Jhye Richardson at gully, the ball going through his fingers and on to the boundary.
D’Arcy Short belted three sixes off the fourth over, bowled by Ashton Agar, that went for 21 runs before he departed with the score at 1-58.
Matt Short was unbeaten on 47 at the 10-over break, his side 1-100 and needing 54 runs from the remaining 10 overs.
Short brought up his fifty with a superb cover drive boundary in the 11th over then pulled Ricardson’s next ball high into the stands.
Chris Lynn belted his 208th Big Bash six to advance to 49 runs from 42 balls then brought up his half-century with a single, leaving Short to strike the winning runs.
SHORT SPARK
Matt Short has been the cornerstone of the Strikers’ batting this season, but he sparked his side with the ball in hand, the skipper opting to take the first over himself after winning the bat flip.
Short’s first ball clattered into Zak Crawley’s pads, but a huge LBW shout fell on deaf ears.
The Strikers lost their review after they sent it upstairs, but their disappointment was quickly forgotten when Sam Whiteman dragged Short’s second ball onto his stumps.
The Scorchers belted the Strikers to all parts of Optus Stadium on Wednesday, but they emerged from a subdued Powerplay at 2-21, and couldn’t exert the same dominance on a much-improved attack that featured leg-spinner Lloyd Pope for the first time.
The leg-spinner was signed as a local replacement player during the week and took the key wickets of Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis, who top-scored for the visitors with 39 from 25 balls.
Death bowling has been an issue for the Strikers this season, but the Scorchers went without a boundary for 24 of the last 25 balls of their innings, Andrew Tye clearing the ropes off the last ball of the 20th over.
The Strikers have leaked runs late this season, but their last four overs went for 3-23 to set up the modest target.
TEAMS
Adelaide Strikers: Matt Short (c), D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Adam Hose, Thomas Kelly, Jamie Overton, Harry Nielsen (wk), Henry Thornton, David Payne, Cameron Boyce, Lloyd Pope
Perth Scorchers: Zak Crawley, Sam Whiteman, Aaron Hardie (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Laurie Evans, Cooper Connolly, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris
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