By Aaryan Shah – Sports Writer
With a modest crowd at the SCG and COVID-19 beginning to run rampant in NSW, cricket was a welcomed distraction.
The Sydney Sixers had another opportunity to go top of the table whilst the Adelaide Strikers were desperate to prove themselves as a competitive outfit against the best teams in the competition. With overhead conditions remaining mild and settled for the rest of the evening, the SCG became the perfect place for the Adelaide Strikers to win the toss and have a bat. The Sixers were missing key players Tom Curran and Stephen O’Keefe through injury giving their team selection quite a local flavour. The Strikers also ringed the changes with Matt Renshaw and George Garton coming into the side for Daniel Drew and Liam Scott.
The decision to bat was quickly vindicated with Adelaide opener Matt Short dispatching Sixers quick Ben Dwarshuis to all parts of the ground to collect a whopping 18 runs off the first over (including 2 sundries). The returning Sean Abbott then had the perfect follow-up over for the Sixers conceding just 1 run and a wicket off his over to send Short packing. Hayden Kerr bowled a tight next over before Abbott came back to remove the struggling Jake Weatherald for a test match-like innings of 6 off 11 balls. Jonathan wells and Matt Renshaw then combined for a 59 run partnership before Dan Christian then got in on the act removing both set batters, even managing to remove Matt Renshaw and Harry Nielson in the same over. Christian finished with outstanding figures of 3-8 from his 3 overs. George Garton then attempted to push the game along before he became Lloyd Pope’s only victim of the match. 21-year old Strikers batter Thomas Kelly (41) held the innings together before Sean Abbott (3-24) picked up his final wicket of the game. Rashid Khan failed to make an impact with the bat giving Hayden Kerr some reward for his tight bowling.
The Strikers finished with 8/147; a relatively modest total made competitive by an aggressive knock from Jono Wells (32 off 19) and an anchoring 41 from Thomas Kelly. The Strikers this year are a team more renowned in the bowling department with the likes of Daniel Worrall, Peter Siddle, George Garton, Fawad Ahmed and Rashid Khan.
This assessment proved on the money straight away with Sixers opener Josh Phillipe resuming his intense battle with Daniel Worrall. James Vince then picked up the slack with some elegant drives through the off-side. The introduction of Strikers captain Peter Siddle put the Sixers into an even better position with Josh Phillipe scooping him over fine leg to get his innings underway in a 15 run over that put the Sixers on track to reach the bash boost target.
Just as it looked like the Sixers were going to get home in a canter the introduction of spin twins Fawad Ahmed and Rashid Khan turned the game on its head. Two economical overs from Khan and what was looking like a second for Ahmed brought about the downfall of Vince, bowled attempting a sweep. George Garton then returned to pick up the prized wicket of Josh Phillipe whilst at the other end Daniel Hughes failed to pick Rashid Khan’s googly. The Sixers were now in a spot of bother, with 3/63 approaching the halfway mark.
It was time to build a partnership and the two experienced heads of Jordan Silk and Moises Henriques did just that putting on a 52 run partnership, leading the Sixers back into ascendancy. However, the game wasn’t over yet. Rashid Khan returned to remove Henriques and Dan Christian in successive deliveries. It then looked like Jordan Silk would finish the game for the Sixers. However, a timely intervention from George Garton saw the so far untested lower order pair of Sean Abbott (19 not out of 10) and Hayden Kerr (8 not out of 2, including a 6 to finish the game) ice the game for the Sixers with 4 balls to spare.
Have the Strikers proven that they can be competitive without Travis Head and Alex Carey? Let us know in the comments section.
Aaryan Shah is a Sports Writer for The Pioneer Australia. He’s mad for Cricket and AFL, and is also an Australian representative at Boccia.
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