SHOW OVER FOR CANES
Hobart’s BBL season ended in disappointing fashion at the MCG, writes Jason Phelan
THE Adelaide Strikers’ barnstorming Big Bash run has continued, Alex Carey and Matt Short sharing a season-best opening partnership in a 22run win that dumped the Hobart Hurricanes out of the finals.
The Strikers took the momentum of a four-game winning streak into Friday night’s elimination final at the MCG and were boosted by the inclusion of Ashes stars Travis Head and Carey.
Head missed out, dismissed for five, but Carey fired with a superb 67 from 45 balls, with opening partner Short even more impressive with his 89 from 48 including six sixes and four fours in a 145-run partnership that set up a total of 6-188.
The Hurricanes stumbled early in reply, losing the competition’s leading run scorer Ben McDermott in the first over for six.
Danger man Matthew Wade (7) was gone in the fourth and the Canes never really recovered, bowled out for 166 with two balls left in their innings.
Big Bash leading wicket-taker Peter Siddle did the damage with 4-32 from 3.4 overs to take his season tally to 27 wickets.
The win sees the Strikers progress to Sunday’s knockout final against the Sydney Thunder at the MCG.
The Strikers, batting first after winning the flip, were helped off to a flyer by a sloppy fielding performance that included dropped catches, costly misfields and overthrows.
The Strikers were 0-117 in the 13th over when Wil Parker nearly pulled off the catch of the tournament.
Chasing a Short long ball, Parker leapt full length at long-on and somehow took the ball cleanly in his right hand. But the spinner landed just inside the boundary rope with his momentum taking him across the rope.
The Strikers were on pace to set a target well over 200 at 0-97 from 10 overs, but the Canes did well to slow the run rate late.
The Hurricanes gave them themselves a fighting chance, restricting the Strikers to 4-24 from the last four overs of their innings.
Meredith and Tom Rogers were the pick of the bowlers.