Adelaide Strikers produce a perfect performance to extinguish Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval
After succumbing to Brisbane Heat on Tuesday, Adelaide Strikers flipped the script when the AB de Villiers led visitors arrived at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
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Adelaide had lamented it was yet to play the ‘perfect game’ in BBL09, but rolled it out to crush AB de Villiers’ Brisbane Heat in a dramatic form reversal.
Strikers openers Phil Salt (67 off 38 balls) and Jake Weatherald (33 off 27) put on a breakthrough, unbeaten stand that chewed up the Heat’s 104 in 10.4 overs for a 10-wicket win.
Former Test opener Matt Renshaw 43 (31) ran out of partners and patience in a Heat innings that saw South African legend de Villiers (2) last three balls and Chris Lynn (26) curtailed in a faultless Strikers bowling effort.
SUPER SALT
English recruit Salt had made one half-century in nine previous starts for the Strikers, but has found form at the right time with four games remaining before the finals.
Jason Gillespie chose Salt as his second import on the back of two seasons of heavy hitting for his Sussex Sharks T20 side and Strikers fans now understand why.
The Strikers won with 55 balls to spare.
There was little scoreboard pressure, but after six sixes and strike rate of 176 in a superb knock, Salt has found his BBL mojo.
Salt made a beeline for de Villiers after the Strikers loss at the Gabba and thrived on the words of wisdom from a living legend.
“It was pretty good, I enjoyed batting with Weathers. I’m glad after getting beaten at the Gabba the way we responded,” said Salt.
TRADING PLACES
Darren Lehmann and Jason Gillespie were enduring teammates for South Australia and Australia, but walked out as coaching foes at their old stomping ground.
Lehmann prevailed in a Heat demolition on Tuesday at the Gabba, but it was Gillespie leaving with a smile by Friday night.
The Strikers solidified third spot with 11 points entering Sunday’s clash against the second bottom Hurricanes in Hobart.
SHORT AND SWEET
There is hardly a more enticing sight in Twenty20 than Lynn and de Villiers at the crease.
The beautiful union was fleeting for fans who wanted a taste of genuine cricket royalty before a home win.
Jake Weatherald had told Fox Cricket’s broadcast he ‘secretly’ hoped to watch a de Villiers cameo, but held a brilliant catch in front of the deep square leg rope off Michael Neser to claim the No. 3.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
Travis Head unleashed Rashid Khan twice in the power play with Michael Neser (2/14) and Peter Siddle (1/19).
The Strikers skipper decided to fight fire with fire knowing the world class batsmen in Heat’s top order.
Rashid deserved more victims than 1-15 across four exceptional overs.
The Afghanistan leg-spinner contained Lynn and Renshaw early.
Fringe Test paceman Neser struck the crucial blow removing de Villiers, while an undercutter saw Renshaw sky a pull to keeper Harry Nielsen.
Siddle was bowling with a stitched right hand after splitting webbing in Tuesday’s loss to the Heat.
Fielding the last ball of the fourth over hurt the 67-Test veteran, but claimed opener Max Bryant (1).
QUIET ACHIEVER
Liam O’Connor (3/30) has never let the Strikers down as Rashid’s back-up tweaker whether in BBL finals or this crucial game against the Heat.
O’Connor followed Lynn’s scalp with white-hot Nielsen holding difficult catches off counterpart Jimmy Peirson (3) and Ben Cutting (9)
No man has hit more sixes in the BBL and his 142nd was trademark Lynn brutality.
Lynn charged Siddle and swatted over the deep point fence.
Adelaide was facing another dose of ‘Lynnsanity’ before O’Connor forced an ill-timed aerial slice that was intercepted by a diving Rashid at cover.
Catches win matches and the Strikers held gems to remove dangermen Lynn and de Villiers.