It was worth the wait for Adelaide Strikers fans, new skipper Matt Short blasting a match-winning half-century as the Strikers chased down the Sydney Thunder’s big total with just two balls to spare in a pulsating clash at Adelaide Oval.
Chasing a target of 201, Adelaide left it late, Adam Hose the hero with five boundaries and the game-winning six as the Strikers won by six wickets.
The Strikers, who had to wait 10 days for their first BBL action after their season-opener against Brisbane was washed out, were in a commanding position after a 139-run opening partnership between the skipper and D’Arcy Short.
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But the game tightened up thanks to some outstanding Thunder bowling, the Strikers needing 35 runs from the last 18 balls when D’Arcy Short departed for an impressive 66 from 47.
The home side needed eight runs off the last over, but Jake Weatherald did the unthinkable off the first ball, run out by Zaman Khan after failing to ground his bat running for a quick single.
Hose saved the day with a boundary off the next delivery then sent the crowd into raptures with a towering straight six to win it.
Cameron Bancroft anchored Sydney’s innings superbly with his 74 off 54 balls, including one six and six fours, guiding the Thunder to 7-200 after Chris Green won the flip and chose to bat.
SHORT & SWEET
The Strikers couldn’t have asked much more from their new opening partnership between Matt Short and namesake D’Arcy, the former Hobart Hurricane grabbing his opportunity with Adelaide with both hands.
A relatively reserved D’Arcy was the perfect foil for his swashbuckling partner as the pair raced to 104 runs at the 10-over mark.
When Matt Short blasted his fourth and fifth sixes off back-to-back Green balls he’d plundered 36 runs off 10 runs to move to 72 from 36 balls.
He pulled Tanveer Sangha over mid-wicket for his sixth six before he was caught going for No.7.
The Strikers needed 62 runs off 43 runs when the skipper departed in the 13th over.
SHORTY BUSY
Matt Short was in the thick of the action early.
The skipper bowled the second over and was taken apart by Alex Hales, who smashed a four through mid-wicket, a towering straight six, and a four through the leg side off successive balls.
But Short had the last laugh when he stopped the rot with a ball that clattered into the Englishman’s middle stump.
The Adelaide opener wasn’t done, taking a superb diving catch at slip to dismiss Matthew Gilkes for a golden duck and even better one in the covers to send Ollie Davies on his way.
“Straight to Matt Short diving to his left… that is something special there,” Brendon Julian said.
NEW FACES
With Powerplay and Power Surge specialists Peter Siddle moved on and Rashid Khan missing for the season with a back injury, Adelaide’s recast attack leaked runs in its first outing, going for 16 fours and eight sixes.
Bancroft ensured the Thunder recovered from a shaky start, sharing two crucial partnerships, one worth 54 from 33 balls with Davies and the other 82 runs from 48 balls with Alex Ross, who belted three fours and two sixes in a quickfire 46.
After his early breakthrough, Short went at just over 14 runs an over, with the Thunder also getting after Wes Agar (1-44 from four overs).
New boys David Payne and Jamie Overton made promising debuts, the English seamers each taking two wickets.
Strikers: Wes Agar, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Brendan Doggett, Adam Hose, Josh Kann, Chris Lynn, Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen (wk), Jamie Overton, David Payne, D’Arcy Short, Matthew Short (c), Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald
Thunder: Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matthew Gilkes (wk), Chris Green (c), Alex Hales, Liam Hatcher, Zaman Khan, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Tanveer Sangha
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