Hurricanes powerplay all but locks in semi-final spot

The Hurricanes have erased the memory of last year’s BBL final defeat after hammering a listless Adelaide and in the process all but lock up a semi-final spot in this summer’s tournament.

Matthew Wade of the Hobart Hurricanes and D'Arcy Short of the Hobart Hurricanes celebrate after defeating the Strikers during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval. Picture: DANIEL KALISZ

THE Hurricanes have erased the memory of last year’s BBL final defeat after hammering a listless Adelaide and in the process all but lock up a semi-final spot in this summer’s tournament.

Just under 12 months since going down to the Strikers at Adelaide Oval, Hobart exacted some revenge with a near complete performance to waltz to a 10-wicket win and move an incredible three games clear on top with five matches still to play.

A superb group bowling display restricted the hosts to 5-154, before the most lethal batting combination in Australian Twenty20 cricket joined forces to bury a stunned Strikers outfit.

Captain Matthew Wade pummeled 84 from 49 balls, while D’Arcy Short took a bat seat with his 52-ball 73 as the visitors cruised to their target with 19 deliveries up their sleeve.

Matthew Wade of the Hobart Hurricanes bats during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval. Picture: DANIEL KALISZ

Rashid Khan of the Strikers reacts during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval. Picture: DANIEL KALISZ

Fans enjoy the atmosphere during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval. Picture: DANIEL KALISZ

Wade and Short’s unbroken 158-run stand was their second triple figure mark of this tournament, with the duo smashing a host of Hurricanes and Big Bash records in the process.

They surpassed the side’s previous highest union for any wicket (151 by Ben McDermott and George Bailey), Tim Paine and Ben Dunk (729 runs together) as the most dominant partnership pair in Big Bash history and became the first duo to score 500 runs in partnerships in a single BBL edition.

It was the fifth highest stand ever in the BBL, while they join the Scorchers, who chased down 171 against the Melbourne Renegades in December 2015 as the only team to win with all 10 wickets in hand.

“It started with the ball, I thought they were under par for sure with the bat and we bowled really, really well,” said Wade, who moved alongside Short as the two leading run scorers for the competition.

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“[Colin] Ingram got going towards the end which was not ideal but the way we bowled to start the day was really impressive and gave us an opportunity to take our time with Rashid Khan and Billy Stanlake.

“We learned from last year in the final here, we bowled too short and got hit square a lot, we didn’t do that today.

“We didn’t expect Rashid to bowl in the first six… when he came on in the powerplay it changed our game plan a bit, we wanted to sit on him.”

Adelaide’s most dangerous bowling weapons Khan and Stanlake were completely neutralized, with the pair – who bowled five of the six overs in the powerplay as Strikers skipper Ingram searched for early breakthroughs – conceding 73 runs between them.