Adelaide Strikers fall agonisingly short of chasing down a record Adelaide Oval total against Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday night

Adelaide Strikers fell heartbreakingly short of a historic BBL chase against Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval on Sunday night, with the loss costing them the double finals chance.

Travis Head of the Strikers reacts after being dismissed during the Big Bash League (BBL) cricket match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Sunday, January 26, 2020. (AAP Image/Sam Wundke) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP

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Electric Matt Wade cost Adelaide a double chance while smashing Hobart into the BBL finals with a maiden Australia Day T20 ton.

Unconquered Wade destroyed the Strikers’ top two ambition in Adelaide with BBL’s second highest score (130 off 61 balls) in a 10-run win.

The Hurricanes’ 1-217 was the highest Adelaide Oval BBL total and just short of their competition record 8-223 set against Melbourne Renegades three years ago.

Wade was all box office action with seven sixes and 11 fours.

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Travis Head throws his head back in disappointment after being dismissed against Hobart on Sunday night. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

The Test veteran mixed brutality with velvet timing at a 213 strike rate.

Wade brought up his 48-ball ton with a single, which was an anticlimax after the preceding, exquisite flick for six over the deep square fence.

The Strikers had to wait 18.1 overs for any joy with Short (72 off 55) launching Michael Neser to Phil Salt at mid-off.

The Strikers (8-207) took the fight to Hobart with opener Phil Salt (66 off 33) and skipper Travis Head (47) providing a promising lift off before falling to Scott Boland (2/41).

The scoreboard pressure consumed Adelaide and Alex Carey (39 off 23) with 27 required from 12 balls.

DYNAMIC DUO

Matthew Wade raises his arms after reaching his century against Adelaide. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

Wade and D’Arcy Short’s 203-run opening stand was the second highest partnership in BBL behind the 207 Melbourne Stars duo Marcus Stoinis and Hilton Cartwright posted on January 12 against Sydney Sixers at the MCG.

Opener Stoinis blasted a competition record, unbeaten 147 on the same night.

Adelaide banks on the best defensive attack in the competition to win from any situation, but Wade and Short had its measure.

Wade has come so far since Hobart’s losing 2017-18 BBL final against the Strikers where the left-hander was demoted to No. 6, run out without facing a ball then fined for smashing his bat in frustration.

He has won a Test recall and showed he should figure in Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup planning.

Wade (84) and Short (73) steered the Hurricanes to a 10-wicket win here in January last year with a 158-run stand.

EQUATION

The equation was simple for Hobart – win and make the finals.

Adelaide was targeting direct passage to the grand final.

A top-two finish meant a qualifier berth against a fading Melbourne Stars next Friday.

The Hurricanes progress to Thursday’s Eliminator against Sydney Thunder or Brisbane Heat. Third-placed Adelaide will host the winner of the fourth versus fifth Eliminator next Saturday.

SALT STORM

Phil Salt hits a six during his whirlwind inning for the Strikers. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

Salt is igniting after an indifferent start.

He has four half centuries and two in succession after his 67 in 33 balls.

The Englishman delivered a matchwinning 59 from 31 against Perth on Friday night.

For Adelaide to win, Salt needed to match Wade’s ton, but the opener has justified the faith of his Sussex coach and Strikers coach Jason Gillespie with 357 runs at a strike rate of 165 in BBL09.

POOR FIELDING

Billy Stanlake had a dirty night, having Wade dropped on 57 by Jon Wells at deep backward square leg in an over that cost 22 runs.

Just as Wade had a let-off, Salt rode his luck, dropped in the first over of the game by George Bailey off James Faulkner while on four, and again by Short on 47 off Nathan Ellis with the ball trickling to the boundary rope.

Hobart keeper Ben McDermott let two deliveries off Faulkner through his legs to the boundary to help the Strikers’ pursuit of a mammoth target.

Originally published as Adelaide Strikers fall agonisingly short of chasing down a record Adelaide Oval total against Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday night