Adelaide Strikers 251 for 5 (M Short 109, Lynn 47, Ross 44*, Kuhneman 3-50) lost Brisbane Heat 195 (McSweeney 43, D Short 4-15, Haskett 2-43, Pope 2-44) by 56 runs
Sent to bat on a very flat Adelaide Oval surface, the strikers scored 251 for 5, highlighted by Short’s 109 off 54 balls after missing the last three matches. He hit his ton in 49 balls to set a new franchise record.
The chase was never seriously threatened and were all out for 195 after 20 overs.
The result revived the Strikers’ season (three wins from eight games) as they entered the match in last position and moved within striking distance of the fourth-placed Heat.
Short/Lynn rampage before Carey’s brief knock in season debut
During Short’s absence, Lynn moved to open from three and such was his success that he remained in the position. He dominated the powerplay and quickly beat Michael Nesser and Xavier Bartlett, usually very reliable with the new ball.
Lynn scored 42 off 13 balls as the Strikers posted 62 for 0, the most by a team in the Powerplay this season. Short then took over with two sixes off left-arm quick Spencer Johnson as the Strikers moved to 81-0 after five overs.
Hogging the strike, Short soon passed Lynn to reach his half-century off 24 balls. In the first seven overs, Short and Lynn hit seven sixes while failing to score runs off just 11 balls.
But Lynn lost his rhythm and also suffered a strained hamstring before being bowled by a fast delivery from left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnmann.
Carey eventually came to the crease, but lasted just eight deliveries after being bowled by another fast ball from Kuhneman. He did, however, hit the best shot of the innings when a brilliant check drive sailed beautifully over extra cover and into the crowd.
Short was unsettled as he duly reached his ton with a boundary. Travis Head scored the Strikers’ previous fastest century with a 53-ball century against the Sydney Sixers on New Year’s Eve 2015.
It was a brilliant knock from Short, who recently opened for Australia in white-ball cricket, characterized by staying steady at the crease and striking clean balls. He ruthlessly aimed a short boundary on the legside before finally getting holed out to deep midwicket.
Alex Ross scored an unbeaten 44 off 19 balls to keep the momentum going for the Strikers.
Spinners Kuhneman, Swepson try their best
With their star quicks Nesser, Bartlett and Johnson unable to hit their lengths due to rare off performances, spinners Kuhneman and Swepson took five wickets between them in fighting efforts.
They were not spared with 91 from their eight overs, but at least ensured that the Strikers did not return to the BBL record score of 273 for 2 set by Melbourne Stars three years ago.
Kuhneman, in his first match since being selected for the Test tour of Sri Lanka, got some zip off the surface, while Swepson mixed his bowling with cleverness to be the most profitable of the five bowlers.
Debutant D’Arcy quickly took four wickets, facing a tough start
On a surface that rivaled some of the most unforgiving pitches seen in the IPL, the Strikers’ debuting quicks Liam Haskett and Jordan Buckingham faced a tough start.
Haskett impressed in the Sheffield Shield for Western Australia last season, but a back injury delayed his start this summer. The tall left-hander quickly got out in the second over, but struggled with his length early on and hit the legside for successive sixes off Nesser.
Haskett was later pulled by Nathan McSweeney for six and was superbly caught by his father. He later returned to dismiss Tom Alsop for 2 for 43 in 3 overs.
Buckingham, 24, has been given a chance in the BBL after impressing in the Shield in recent seasons. Like almost every bowler in the match, he endured some punishment but claimed the key wicket of Matthew Renshaw in the 14th over.
Munro is batting well after injury in the field
The Heat’s monumental task was made more difficult by skipper Colin Munro batting well after dislocating a finger on his left hand and suffering a shoulder injury in a tumultuous field. Coming to number 7, he ducked the second ball.
Nesser was promoted to open and ordered to brake, but that didn’t do the trick. McSweeney played fluently with several brilliant drives and he scored an impressive 43 off 24 balls.
But Renshaw, the in-form Max Bryant and Johnson, who scored 27 off 13 balls at No 11, effectively ended the Heat’s slim chances despite his entertaining cameo as he attempted a second run. Run out while doing.
Tristan Lovelett is a journalist based in Perth
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