Adelaide Strikers snap losing streak as defending champions Melbourne Renegades slump to 0-9
Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades arrived at Adelaide Oval both desperate to end losing streaks. However, it was the home team that left victorious following a solid effort with both bat and ball.
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Adelaide Strikers thundered back into the top four and title contention with a 63-run triumph that left winless champion Melbourne Renegades in a world of hurt.
Set 174 for victory, the Renegades folded for 110 in 17.4 overs.
Beau Webster (49, 33) was the only Renegade to take the fight to a brilliant Strikers attack before trapped lbw by Rashid Khan (2/19).
The Strikers are three points adrift of second-placed Sydney Sixers while there appears no end to the Renegades’ woes.
Spearhead Kane Richardson and skipper Aaron Finch are in India while established stars Dan Christian (2), Tom Cooper (1), Shaun Marsh (21) and Marcus Harris (4) are yet to click.
Sydney Thunder hold the record for a 19-game winless streak and the Renegades have lost nine since last year’s final.
Key stand
Losing constant wickets has been Adelaide’s Achilles heel this season, which made the 80-run, fifth-wicket union between man of the match Wells (58 off 38) and Matt Short (41 off 28) crucial.
It ended in an unfortunate run-out for Short in his best innings of the tournament a better suited No. 6 slot.
The Strikers’ 6-173 was the average winning total at Adelaide Oval with 76 plundered off the last six overs.
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Going to the Well
Wells was Adelaide’s leading batsman last season and is in the top seven competition run scorers this summer with 292 at 73.
Wells’ third half-century of the campaign came despite customary pressure.
He thrives on smart stroke play with a bullet cut shot and capacity to lift with little risk over mid-wicket.
Adelaide was in trouble at 4-84 in the 11th over with keeper Harry Nielsen going cheaply, but Wells consolidated before punching five boundaries and a six in a clutch dig at 152 strike rate.
Lost opportunity
Aggressive openers Phil Salt and Jake Weatherald haven’t fired in unison yet.
The Strikers looked set for a mammoth total at 0-40 in the fourth over before Salt (18 off 12) was removed by Jack Wildermuth.
Weatherald cracked 27 off 12 balls but fell to Mohammad Nabi courtesy of a Cooper juggled catch either side of the boundary rope.
Adelaide’s best opening stand this season was 47 against the Renegades at Docklands when Sussex recruit Salt made his only half-century of the tournament.
Salt can be encouraged that Weatherald was struggling for consistency at the halfway mark of BBL07 before finishing with a flurry including a matchwinning 115 in the final against Hobart Hurricanes.
Silverware to spoon
It’s been an inglorious fall from grace for the champions since Andrew McDonald left on season’s eve to become Justin Langer’s right-hand man.
McDonald is head coach for Australia’s one-day tour of India, while Michael Klinger filled the Renegades void at short notice and is dealing with a winless title defence.
Klinger can’t be blamed, but Victoria’s restructured BBL program will come under scrutiny at season’s end if the Renegades can’t conjure a strong back end of the campaign.
Too funky
Poor shot selection and early collapses have dogged the Renegades.
Off-balance Sam Harper (5) got too inventive in Peter Siddle’s (3/14) first over and was bowled just when the Renegades needed to rebuild after the early loss of Marcus Harris (4).
Opener Harris went too hard early against Travis Head’s off-spin.
Allrounder Trav
Head deceived both Harris and Marsh with dip and turn in a sign of his ever-improving off-spin taking 2-26 from four overs.
The Renegades couldn’t afford anchorman Marsh - who chewed up 29 balls - to depart inside 10 overs.
