BBL, Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers: Smith stars as Sixers end Strikers’ BBL finals hopes

The Sydney Sixers got home with just one ball remaining against the Adelaide Strikers, with an incredible bit of boundary-edge fielding proving the difference in the end.

A superb half-century by Steve Smith has helped dash the Adelaide Strikers’ Big Bash finals hopes, the Sydney Sixers chasing down their target with just one ball remaining in a thriller at Adelaide Oval.

The Strikers needed a win to stay in the finals hunt and set a target of 183 after a slow start, but Smith got the Sixers’ run chase off to a flyer.

The Sixers still had the job ahead of them at 5-92 in the 11th over after losing three quick wickets, but Hayden Kerr and Sean Abbott saw their team home to a thrilling three-wicket win.

The Sixers needed 23 from the last 12 balls when Lloyd Pope came on to bowl the 19th over.

The gutsy move by Strikers skipper Matt Short paid off immediately when the wily leg spinner trapped Lachie Shaw in front with his first ball, but he went for 13 from the remaining five balls.

Steve Smith smashed the Strikers’ attack. Picture: Getty Images

Needing 10 runs to win off the last over bowled by Henry Thornton, Kerr made it five from four with a boundary, a wide followed, and the Strikers couldn’t hold on.

On the heels of his jaw-dropping unbeaten century, Smith brought up his eighth Big Bash 50 off just 27 balls.

Earlier, the Strikers were sent in and lost star skipper Matt Short in the first over then crawled to 3-65 from 10 overs.

Ollie Pope (57) combined with Alex Ross (48) to put on a 97-run partnership from 70 balls that set up a fast finish as the home side rallied to 5-182 from its 20 overs.

Pope and Ross blasted 31 runs from the Power surge, the second-highest of the season, before Jamie Overton bludgeoned 32 runs from just 14 balls, including 21 off the final over bowled by Sean Abbott.

Ollie Pope smashed a half-century for the Strikers. Picture: Getty Images

SPEEDY SMITH

Smith pulled the third ball he faced 10 rows back, raced to 20 from 9 balls with his second six, moved to 33 from 15 with his third, and was 44 off 20 when he sent Jordan Buckingham’s first delivery of the night into the Sir Edwin Smith Stand.

Overton did what looked to be the impossible when he coaxed a false shot from Smith, with Thornton taking a regulation catch behind point in the 10th over.

The Sixers needed 95 from 64 balls when Smith departed with the score 3-88, but Overton struck again in a pivotal 10th over, trapping Jordan Silk in front with the last ball.

Steve Smith on his way to deliver mass carnage in the middle of Adelaide Oval. Picture: Getty Images

Moises Henriques unsuccessfully reviewed the decision from the non-striker’s end and almost immediately regretted it when he was given out LBW from the first ball of the next over bowled by Lloyd Pope.

Replays appeared to show a healthy inside edge onto his pads, but the furious skipper had to go, the Sixers losing 3-4 in six balls.

SHAW THING

Adelaide’s total would’ve been five crucial runs more but for a stunning piece of work in the deep by Shaw.

In just his third BBL game, the 22-year-old took a brilliant one-handed catch as he fell over the boundary rope, but his momentum was clearly taking him over.

In mid-air, Shaw had the presence of mind to flick the ball behind his back onto the turf to save what looked a certain six by Ollie Pope in the 11th over.

Sixers boundary save

As if to prove the sublime piece of skill was no fluke, Shaw took a brilliant catch running in from the boundary, diving forward and to his left to send Alex Ross on his way.

That total would’ve been five runs more but for a stunning piece of work in the deep by Lachie Shaw, who took a brilliant one-handed catch as he fell over the boundary rope and flicked it behind his back onto the turf to save what looked a certain six by Pope in the 11th over.

Originally published as BBL, Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers: Smith stars as Sixers end Strikers’ BBL finals hopes