BBL, Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers: Connolly leads the Scorchers to big win
Perth Scorchers have smashed the Strikers by five wickets, moving into fourth and spot in the BBL finals – with the Stars set to play with their future on the line on Sunday.
Sydney Thunder have to wait until the final game of BBL14 to find out who they will play in Wednesday’s Knockout game at Engie Stadium.
Remarkably, the Perth Scorchers currently hold the fourth place that qualifies them for the clash, after they beat the Adelaide Strikers by five wickets at Optus Stadium on Saturday.
However, the Melbourne Stars can jump ahead of the Scorchers and earn the right to play the Thunder midweek.
They just need to beat the top ranked Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Sunday.
The Scorchers and Strikers started yesterday’s clash in last and second last place on the BBL table respectively.
But they remained in the hunt for a finals place after Jake Fraser-McGurk led the Melbourne Renegades to a thrilling win over the Brisbane Heat earlier in the day.
Fraser-McGurk’s heroic 95 runs from 46 balls saw the Renegades leap frog the Heat into fourth spot.
But a steady unbeaten 39 runs from Cooper Connolly saw the Scorchers home.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Adelaide was bowled out for 161 runs in the 20th over, making the scenario to play finals simple.
If the Strikers could restrict Perth to 146 runs in its chase, they would claim the win and jump ahead of the Renegades.
If the Scorchers could chase the 162 runs down inside 18 over, they would sit in fourth place heading into Sunday.
Connolly got to the crease when the score was 2-69 in the seventh over, with openers Sam Fanning and Finn Allen back on the bench. His 39 runs came from just 21 balls and included four sixes; no boundaries.
It was also enough for him to jump the Thunder’s David Warner to top the run-scorers list for the tournament.
SCOTT’S TIME TO SHINE
Liam Scott chose the right time to come out of his shell.
Batting at number four, the Strikers allrounder smashed an important 67 runs from 43 balls, easily his best in his short BBL career. Over his seven previous innings, he’d totalled only 33 runs, with a high score of just 10.
At one stage, Adelaide had looked at posting a total in excess of 200.
With Chris Lynn missing, openers Alex Carey (22) and Matt Short (40) set the tone.
The pair added their collective 62 runs from just 28 balls.
After six overs, the Strikers were 2-81, with nine balls already reaching the boundary and four going over it.
The total of 161 was well below what they would have expected at the half-way mark when they had 4-101 on the board. Losing their last four wickets for just six runs didn’t help.
JASON’S BEST FOR LAST
Jason Behrendorff’s return of 3-21 from just 3.1 overs was his best for the season.
There were 10 dot balls in his 19 deliveries.
It also took his wicket tally for BBL14 to 17, more than any other bowler and one ahead of Melbourne Renegade’s Tom Morris.
Scorchers teenage speedster Mahli Beardman also impressed with 3-17 from three overs. The first of his victims, Alex Ross, was his first BBL wicket.
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