Aussie cricket legends baffled as Adelaide Strikers crash out of BBL Finals in six wicket loss to Heat
The Brisbane Heat are moving on in the BBL Finals but Aussie cricket legends have called for the Adelaide Strikers to take a good hard look at themselves.
Having been given a lifeline with results going their way on Tuesday, the Adelaide Strikers have been bounced out of the BBL Finals, losing The Eliminator by six wickets at The Gabba.
In a low scoring clash, the Strikers struggled to get away at the start with Alex Carey and Travis Head soaking up the balls.
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But at 1/53 off the first 10 overs, the Strikers did have a platform to launch, but the run out of Jake Weatherald threw a spanner in the works.
Weatherald batted nicely for his 32 but he was slammed after he was run out in crazy circumstances.
Having barely survived a run out the ball before, Weatherald took a second run when it was never on, being run out by a long way.
Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting was gobsmacked by the running and took aim at Weatherald.
The Strikers star has been run out seven times in the BBL in 62 innings, behind only Dan Christian and Adam Voges, who was run out 10 times in 49 innings.
Most times run out in BBL career
— ðŸFlashScore Cricket Commentators (@FlashCric) January 29, 2021
10 - Adam Voges (49 inns)
8 - Dan Christian (96 inns)
7 - Jake Weatherald (62 inns)👈👈
6 - Aaron Finch (75 inns)
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👉 https://t.co/TV25DYustd 👈#BBL10 #BBLFinals
"I can't believe that, I don't reckon he's been able to see the fielder, I reckon he's turned and the bowler was in his way - you can not be run out by that far," he said on Channel 7. "Morne Morkel was actually in his way, he looks down now. That is suicidal running from Jake Weatherald."
Pushing for two costs Jake Weatherald - not even in frame on the run out 😳 #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/7RtdM36f2n
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 29, 2021
The Strikers were lucky not to have lost a wicket to the run out the ball before as well and Ponting wasn't done.
"That is just an absolute brain fade. He actually has a a little look there. I wonder if he didn't see the other fieldsman," he added. "I wonder if he didn't see Labuschagne coming in from fine leg."
He added that it might have been because Travis Head was struggling and was trying to farm the strike.
On Fox Sports, Adam Gilchrist added: "He's not in the frame, you've to know your fielders and who you're taking on because he's a gun (Labuschagne) this bloke."
By the end of the Power Surge, the Strikers scored just 16 runs, another issue the commentators took aim at.
“They’ve totally butchered this power surge, haven’t they?” Gilchrist said. “On the back of some panic batting in the first couple balls, it gives it a completely different look.”
“At the moment they’ve butchered the whole 11.4 overs,” Mark Waugh added. “They’ve hardly hit a boundary. Apart from Weatherald, every batsman has struggled.”
Only Jono Well's 14-ball 20 gave the Strikers something to bowl at but another rough decision left the commentators baffled once more.
Wells had only been subbed into the game as the X-Factor player, taking the place of Daniel Worrall, a swing bowler who is one of the more economical in the BBL, going at just 7.29 an over.
When Chris Lynn was dismissed in the first over to a ball that straightened off the pitch after movement from Michael Neser, Waugh was stunned the Strikers went without the paceman.
“To sub him out, I thought that was a big mistake,” Waugh said. “He’s the one guy with the new ball who can easily take two or three wickets. It’s easy to say in hindsight but, at the time, I thought it was a bad move.”
On top of the tactical mistakes, there were three dropped catches with Neser, Weatherald and Danny Briggs all dropping chances that cost the Strikers dearly.
"Gee they've dropped some catches here the Strikers," Waugh said.
Incredibly, the Strikers had been one of the best catching records in the BBL with the Herald Sun's Sam Landsberger revealing the Strikers had had four basic or "Grade 1" dropped catches all season.
Adelaide Strikers were so sharp in the field all season, leaking just 62 runs from Grade 1 dropped catches. Meanwhile Brisbane Heat cost themselves 163 runs by putting down simple chances. Not the case tonight, with Jimmy and Joe both granted an early life. #BBL10
— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) January 29, 2021
An easy catch expected to be taken 100 per cent of the time, graded by fielding experts.
— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) January 29, 2021
There were 55 basic drops in the BBL home-and-away season. Strikers put down four, which was the fewest. Heat and Hurricanes spilled the most ... 10 each. Grades 2 and 3 also exist in fielding data.
— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) January 29, 2021
The Heat had lost 3/23 including the big wickets of Lynn and Labuschagne but a 69-run stand between Joe Denly and Jimmy Peirson brought the game home for Brisbane.
Denly was dismissed for 41 off 40 balls, but Joe Burns joined Peirson, who scored 47 not out, to close out the game with seven balls to spare.
That is the most stressful 7 ball win you’ll ever see. The Heat gonna heat. #BBL10
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) January 29, 2021
Earlier, Labuschagne took career best figures of 3/13 off three overs as the Heat bowlers had a field day against the Strikers.
His third wicket was something special, with Neser caught on the boundary by Ben Laughlin in a tremendous catch.