BBL 07, Match 31 Review: Adelaide Strikers jump to the top spot with a brilliant win

A couple of teams have been flirting with the top spot this season and once again, the Adelaide Strikers have escalated to the top of the table. It really was another hard fought game between both the sides, personifying the entertainment factor of the League. Eventually, the Hurricanes’ 5-match winning streak came to a screeching halt.

Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald added a partnership of a lifetime together. Both these players were in a mood to dismantle the on-song Hurricanes’ and kept striking boundaries at regular intervals. Carey was the one who played the lead role by taking a majority of the strike, whilst Weatherald kept the scoreboard ticking.

This was something the Hurricanes’ skipper expected from his bowlers. The likes of Clive Rose and Tymall Mills, who were exceptional thus far, had a very poor outing. This paved way for a carnage and Carey completed his fifty in no time. Three overs later, Weatherald completed his half-century as well.

The innings literally took off after Carey got to his fifty. Both players knew they had a lot of wickets still in hand and could take that extra bit of risk to salvage more runs. They did manage to execute their plans with perfection as Carey completed a scintillating hundred and a score in excess of 200 was certainly on cards.

But Windies all-rounder Jofra Archer changed the game on its head with a scintillating 18th over, where he first dismissed Carey. He then inflicted a run-out to send Weatherald back, which left them in a spot of bother. Eventually, they didn’t get the finish they wanted and could manage only 187 runs for the loss of four wickets.

Jofra Archer was the star with the ball, who returned with figures of 3/27 in four overs. His performance gave the Hurricanes a much-needed momentum before heading into the second innings.

Another close shave!

Just the way this season’s Big Bash provided some breathtaking finishes, this one followed the suit. The hosts Adelaide had a big total in their hands to defend, but the Hurricanes had few of the best strikers in the world. Their talisman this season, D’Arcy Short and Alex Doolan stitched a decent opening partnership before the former got dismissed with the scorecard reading 45.

The Hurricanes needed really quick runs as the scoring rate was just over six. The required rate, as one would expect, crept up and it seemed like the Strikers would run away with the game. But as it turned out, Ben McDermott and Doolan started scoring runs quickly. Both players played some big shots and kept amassing boundaries regularly.

The duo added a whopping 102 runs for the 3rd wicket. Alex Doolan had registered a fifty and McDermott was closing in on scoring a fifty as well. They came really close to making a stellar comeback, but the innings started to fall apart. Firstly, McDermott was dismissed in the 18th over and Peter Siddle conceded just six runs of the 19th.

This meant that the Hurricanes needed 22 runs off the final over. Nesser conceded 10 runs and the Strikers registered a comprehensive 11-run win at the Adelaide Oval. The Strikers now move to the top of the table thanks to a better Net Run Rate than the Perth Scorchers.

Brief Scores

Adelaide Strikers: 187/4 in 20 overs (Alex Carey 100, Jake Weatherald 65; Jofra Archer 3/27)

Hobart Hurricanes: 176/4 in 20 overs (Alex Doolan 70*, Ben McDermott 45)

Player of the match: Alex Carey

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