Adelaide Strikers are BBL07 champions after beating Hobart Hurricanes to claim maiden title

ADELAIDE Strikers dominated with the bat and then with the ball to claim a maiden BBL title in front of a home crowd and send the Hobart Hurricanes back to Tasmania with a grand final record of 0-2.

JAKE Weatherald saved his best for last, shattering records and Hobart as Adelaide Strikers clinched a breakthrough BBL title in a canter at Adelaide Oval.

The pain of semi-final blow-outs as minor premier from 2014-16 washed away as Weatherald knockout out the Hurricanes with 115 in 70 balls of supreme strokeplay. Weatherald blazed the highest individual score in a final and fell just shy of D’Arcy Short’s record 122 set against Brisbane Heat on January 10. Adelaide’s 2/202 was the highest score in a BBL final and proved beyond Hobart (5/177) in a 26-run win. Dan Christian finished not out 29. It was the first T20 title for a South Australian side since the Redbacks won the defunct Big Bash in 2010-11. Test legend and Strikers coach Jason Gillespie will head to Sussex as head coach with T20 silverware to match his dual championships with Yorkshire. Travis Head leads his first title after missing out with the Redbacks across four Sheffield Shield and one-day finals. “It’s unbelievable after so much hard work,” said Head. Adelaide missing the competition’s premier pace and spin combination – Billy Stanlake and Rashid Khan on international duty – had to post a massive total and Weatherald stepped up. “You never think this will happen. The coaches have been so supportive. I didn’t feel great but it came off,” said Weatherald. “My family was here from all over Australia so it was really cool.” Peter Siddle (3-17) used his 62-Test experience to repel the Hurricanes’ chase with immaculate control and wicket of Short (68) in the 17th over. Player of the tournament Short had fronted for Australia - with Strikers keeper Alex Carey - against New Zealand on Saturday night in Sydney. All of Jake Weatherald's record sixes Leg-spinner Liam O’Connor (0-27) held up his end of the bargain, putting the brakes on Hobart in his first match of the season. Siddle was introduced in the 11th over to claim George Bailey (46) and end the captain’s 81-run stand with Short. Crunch time arrived with 82 needed off 30 balls and Short led the charge with 19 off Colin Ingram’s first over but Siddle would intervene with help from brilliant Carey. A bizarre decision to bat in-form Matt Wade at No.6 after 71 in the semi-final triumph against Perth backfired. Former Test keeper Wade was irate when run out without scoring by a Carey throw and Hobart was cooked at 5-145 in the 18th over. Matthew Wade fuming over diamond duck Weatherald blazed the highest individual score in a final but fell just shy of Short’s competition record 122 set against Brisbane Heat on January 10. Weatherald fired the Strikers to the final in addition to clutch batsman Head (44 not out) cranking scores of 115, 65, 3, 56, and 57 after making just 87 runs in his initial seven digs. Carey and Weatherald were on course to replicate a season high union of 171 against the Hurricanes in Adelaide last month before parted by Archer. Carey was cramped by express Jofra Archer and chopped on. Weatherald had put on a 104 stand with Head in the semi-final against the Renegades and ignited when joined by his skipper in a 140-run assault on the Renegades. Weatherald took 17 from Dan Christian’s first over then 16 the next bowled by Short. Left-hander Weatherald brought up his half century with sweet swat into the deep mid-wicket stand from Short while his sixth blow over the fence posted the record for most sixes in a BBL final. Adelaide was 1/96 after 10 overs and need to pull back the Hurricanes but Short misjudged a chance at deep mid wicket from Head of Clive Rose. Weatherald raced to his first BBL ton on in the 15th over with a flick off Thomas Rogers past mid-wicket, turning to a teammates in the western stand with unbridled emotion. Ask the those in the know from Ricky Ponting down Weatherald is rated the young batsman to watch with a ‘touch of class’. Weatherald also cracked two tons for South Australia in the JLT one-day series this season. “It was a super knock from a batsman who has really found his feet in the back of this tournament,”: Ponting told Channel 10. Archer’s worst display (1-48) came when it mattered most, attacked for 15 off the last over of the innings as Head launched Adelaide past 200.

Originally published as Adelaide Strikers are BBL07 champions after beating Hobart Hurricanes to claim maiden title

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