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.
HURRICANES CAPTAIN GEORGE BAILEY ON THE LOSS
“A very deserving Adelaide Strikers team there – they blitzed us with the bat,” he said.
“Our sponsors doa fantastic job and the people of Hobart who get around us as they always do.
“Well done to everyone for making the final but we’ll be back.”
JAKE WEATHERALD WINS MAN OF THE MATCH
After a knock of 115 runs from 70 balls, Weatherald picks up the MoM gong.
D’ARCY SHORT WINS PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
“The boys fought hard but credit to the Strikers – they bowled well and batted well.”
STRIKERS CAPTAIN TRAVIS HEAD ON THE WIN
“Wow, that’s unbelievable really. That hasn’t – that’s amazing. Pretty special,” he said.
“Probably questions over the squad, we got in a lot of different guys, and they were exceptional. They were unbelievable.
“They backed each other and had different skills. It was easy to use them. Each one brought a different unique style which has worked a treat. I couldn’t … fault the bowlers.”
OVER 20 HURRICANES 5/177
Laughlin will bowl the final over of the BBL tournament.
And Christian starts with a six and a four.Good hits but where was this several overs ago?
Christian hits the third ball for two.
13 from the over but Strikers are the BBL07 champions, winning by 25 runs.
OVER 19 HURRICANES 5/164
Neser to bowl his last over in the penultimate over of the BBL tournament.
A great yorker to start but Milenko manages to turn it fine for a boundary. It’s all academic now as the Strikers look to bowl the last couple of overs quickly to claim their title.
Neser finishes with figures of 0/34.
OVER 18 HURRICANES 5/152
Oh dear! Laughlin comes on and Matty Wade is run out for a diamond duck on the first ball of the over.
Christian tries to take the run but a direct hit from Alex Carey at the keeper’s end sends Wade back to the dugout without even facing a ball.
The Hurricanes are all but done now as Simon Milenko comes to the crease.
Christian gets one away to the boundary but it’s too little, too late.
51 runs needed from 12 balls.
OVER 17 HURRICANES 4/145
Siddle on for his last over and opens with Christian trying (and failing) to play a ramp shot over Tim Paine’s head behind the stumps. No run.
The second ball is a valuable dot for the Strikers before Christian finally gets one away through the covers for four.
Another dot ball to Siddle follows before a single puts Short on strike for the last ball of the over.
And Short is out! He tries to hit a wide yorker but simply gets an inside edge to Tim Paine behind the stumps.
Wade finally comes to the crease.
58 runs from 18 balls needed.
OVER 16 HURRICANES 3/140
Colin Ingram comes on to bowl his first over of spin and straight away there is an lbw shout waved away by the umpire.
Short follows up with a four on the second ball.
He then sends the third ball of the over for six. Is this the big over the Hurricanes need to get back on track?
It could be! Short sends the fourth ball into the stands as well – a 107m hit.
A single puts Christian on strike and he finishes it off with a single.
That’s 19 from the over.
OVER 15 HURRICANES 3/121
Siddle continues and gets the valuable wicket of McDermott.
The in-form Hurricanes batter had struggled to get going today and is caught lbw (although replays show he might have been dudded by the umpire there)
Dan Christian comes to the crease for the Hurricanes as the batting order continues to change to omit matthew Wade.
Hurricanes now need 82 runs from 30 balls.