Heat stars fail as Salt strikes a blow
PHIL Salt’s powerhouse hitting display helped the Adelaide Strikers catapult to third spot on the BBL ladder after smashing Brisbane Heat by 10 wickets at Adelaide Oval.
After bundling out the Heat for 100, Strikers openers Salt (67 not out off 38 balls, including five sixes) and Jake Weatherald (33 not out) made light work of the chase, reeling in the modest target with 55 deliveries remaining yesterday.
On the back of the Heat’s landslide seven-wicket win at the Gabba, it was an impressive rebound from the Strikers who leapfrogged Brisbane and Perth on the table and received a huge net run-rate boost.
Weatherald was the early aggressor before Salt picked up the pace. Welshman Salt peppered Josh Lalor for 19 in one over – including two sixes – to raise an impressive half century off 34 balls before finishing with a flourish. He belted under-siege spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (0-47) for a four and two more sixes to give his side an early victory.
Earlier, legspinner Liam O’Connor (career-best 3-30) and seamers Michael Neser (2-14) and Wes Agar (2-15) did the damage with the ball to skittle the Heat in 17 overs.
Matt Renshaw (43) and captain Chris Lynn (26) were the only Brisbane batsmen to post double figures.
Max Bryant (one) and AB de Villiers (two) holed out early before Lynn succumbed to a magnificent running, diving catch by Rashid Khan off O’Connor. Lynn’s departure sparked an 8-53 collapse, with the Heat’s last five wickets falling for 11 runs, giving the Strikers the perfect platform.