Jonathan Wells puts Adelaide Strikers back on track

Adelaide Strikers thundered back into the top four and BBL title contention with a 63-run triumph that left winless champions Melbourne Renegades in a world of hurt.

Jonathan Wells unleashes a trademark cut shot against the Renegades Picture: Getty Images

Adelaide Strikers thundered back into the top four and BBL title contention with a 63-run triumph that left winless champions Melbourne Renegades in a world of hurt.

Set 174 for victory, the Renegades folded for 110 in 17.4 overs. Beau Webster (49 from 33 balls) was the only Renegade to take the fight to a brilliant Strikers attack before trapped lbw by Rashid Khan (2-19).

The Strikers leapfrogged the Thunder, Heat and Scorchers on the BBL ladder while there appears no end to the Renegades’ woes. Their spearhead Kane Richardson and skipper Aaron Finch are in India while established stars Dan Christian (2), Tom Cooper (1), Shaun Marsh (21) and Marcus Harris (4) are yet to click.

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Sydney Thunder hold the record for a 19-game winless streak but the Renegades have now lost nine since last year’s final.

The Strikers’ aggressive openers Phil Salt and Jake Weatherald haven’t fired in unison yet but on Sunday they looked like they had the home side on track for a mammoth total when they reached 0-40 from four overs.

However, losing constant wickets has been Adelaide’s achilles heel this season and they slumped to 4-84 in the 11th over. The 80-run, fifth-wicket union between man of the match Jonathan Wells (58 from 38 balls) and Matt Short (41 from 28 balls) proved crucial. It ended in an unfortunate run-out for Short in his best innings of the tournament but it did lift the Strikers total to 6-173 with 76 plundered from the last six overs.

Wells was Adelaide’s leading batsman last season and is in the top seven competition run scorers this summer with 292 at 73. His third half-century of the campaign came with his customary smart strokeplay, a bullet cut shot and capacity to lift over midwicket.

In contrast, it’s been an inglorious fall from grace for the champions since coach Andrew McDonald left on season’s eve to become Justin Langer’s right-hand man.

McDonald is head coach for Australia’s one-day tour of India while Michael Klinger filled the void at short notice and is dealing with a winless title defence. Klinger can’t be blamed but Victoria’s restructured BBL program will come under scrutiny at season’s end if the Renegades can’t conjure a strong back end of the campaign.

The visitors paid dearly for poor shot selection on Sunday.

Sam Harper (5) got too inventive in Peter Siddle’s (3-14) first over and was bowled just when the Renegades needed to rebuild after the early loss of Marcus Harris (4). The rot set in when opener Harris went too hard early against Travis Head’s off-spin and was bowled.

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