Chris Lynn lets loose as Adelaide Strikers sink Melbourne Renegades to snap losing streak

Chris Lynn has hit his highest Big Bash score in five years to snap a three-game losing streak for Adelaide Strikers in a strong five-wicket win over Melbourne Renegades. WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Lynn has hit his highest Big Bash score in five years to snap a three-game losing streak for Adelaide Strikers in a strong five-wicket win over Melbourne Renegades on the second day of the new year.

Lynn smacked 14 boundaries in his stellar 88 off 51 balls to lift the Strikers to a comfortable chase of the Renegades’ 9-142 at an open-air Marvel Stadium.

Following scores of 1, 19, 24 and 2 at number three to start the season, Lynn’s half century marks a prominent return to form and a successful move to the top of the order.

Strikers coach Tim Paine said some match ups with the home side’s quicks led to the promotion in the order for the 34-year-old who he was “very happy” for after his fifty.

“Hasn’t had the tournament he would have liked so far,” Paine said on Fox Cricket.

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“We throw him up the top tonight, we thought there were some pretty good match ups tonight for him certainly with their pace bowlers.”

Lynn hit all of the Strikers’ 37 runs in the powerplay and had 58 of his side’s 63 runs after 7.5 overs. D’Arcy Short was four off 11 at the time.

Chris Lynn hits out the Strikers. Picture: Getty Images

The Renegades had a chance via Jacob Bethell to send a lbw shout against Short for a review in the same over but didn’t take it as the Striker opener struck the next ball for six.

Short was later dismissed by Tom Rogers (2-31) for 27 off 20 balls in an important knock while Adam Zampa was also an impressive bowler for the Gades’ with (2-29) including the wicket of Lynn caught at cover.

Earlier Josh Brown struck his first half century for the Renegades with a captivating 66 off 41 balls including three sixes in a row against leg spinner Lloyd Pope in the fifth over.

But after English international Bethell was dismissed for a run-a-ball 21, the Renegades had a collapse of 7-48 where they scored just 55 runs from the last 53 balls of the innings.

Cameron Boyce (1-26) got the big breakthrough of Brown while fast bowler Henry Thornton (3-22) was the pick of the Strikers’ bowlers.

Thornton’s wickets tally for the campaign now rises to 10 while the Strikers’ record improves to 2-4 with hopes of making finals still alive.

The Renegades head into the Melbourne Derby on Saturday with a 2-3 record.

JOSH BROWN LAUNCHES FOR RENEGADES

Josh Brown made batting look easy on a tricky wicket, hitting 11 boundaries including five sixes to help get his side to the 100-run mark off 13.4 overs at the time his exit from the crease.

The 31-year-old hit the last balls of the opening three overs for boundaries to keep hopes high for the Renegades despite limited scoring otherwise at the start where they were reduced to the lowest powerplay score (20) of the BBL season so far.

Brown struck 38 of his side’s first 50 runs and continued on with a pull shot to mid wicket to bring up his first half century for the Renegades off 32 balls in the 10th over.

“We were on the receiving end of a couple of his knocks last season,” Renegades coach Cameron White said on Fox Cricket.

“It’s great to have him in our colours and hopefully he can continue on with it tonight.”

MARVEL STADIUM’S BIG IMPROVEMENT

A week after receiving attention for the wrong reasons, the surface of Marvel Stadium has been credited for an improvement.

The outfield looked significantly improved following a much dire look 10 days earlier on December 23 where bare patches were visible.

Strikers top-order bat Jake Weatherald joked that the surface “looks like my hair line at the moment, a bit patchy” before crediting the ground staff for their work.

“It looks a lot better than what it did, they have done a good job to get it to where it is now,” Weatherald said on Fox Cricket during the first innings.

Originally published as Chris Lynn lets loose as Adelaide Strikers sink Melbourne Renegades to snap losing streak