BBL12, Perth Scorchers beat Adelaide Strikers by seven wickets to improve their chances of winning the BBL title. The rising Perth Scorchers have retained their lead in the KFC BBL|12 rankings after crushing the Adelaide Strikers by seven wickets at Adelaide Oval. After the Strikers were skittled for 92 on Friday afternoon, in-form Aaron Hardie (43) made light work of the modest chase, aiding the top-of-the-table Scorchers to an early finish with 53 deliveries left.
BBL12, Player of the Match – David Payne (3-20)
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Adelaide Strikers won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, David Payne, Peter Hatzoglou, and Lance Morris of the Perth Scorchers bowled well to reduce the home team to 92/10. (17 ov). Adam Hose (30 points) led the way. It was always going to be a tough target to defend, and Perth Scorchers strolled to a 7-wicket triumph, thanks largely to a third-wicket partnership between Aaron Hardie (43) and Josh Inglis 22*.
The Strikers could only survive 17 overs due to a combination of poor shot selection, some fast bowling, and great fielding by the Scorchers. Regardless of the result of tonight’s match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide’s fourth consecutive defeat will drop them out of the top five. After left-armer David Payne (3-20) annihilated the Strikers’ top order, leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou (3-14) and speedster Lance Morris (3-26) both had career-high hauls.
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Only English immigrant Adam Hose proved to be signed up to the challenge of preventing the ferocious Scorchers’ onslaught (30). Short (0), skipper Travis Head (9), freshly promoted No. 3 Thomas Kelly (9) and wicketkeeper Alex Carey (1) all succumbed meekly after the Powerplay. Head, who shone during Australia’s summer of domination, has only tallied 15 runs at a five-run average since rejoining the struggling Strikers. Catching practice was the order of the day as the easy dismissals continued.
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After the Strikers had finally accepted the Power Surge, Hose spooned a return to Payne in the 15th over. Cameron Bancroft (#7) was run out in the second over of the Scorchers’ reply, while Carey caught fellow opener Stephen Eskinazi (17) off wrist-spinner Cameron Boyce (2-12). Hardie maintained his outstanding form after recording a career-high 90 no on Wednesday in Perth’s triumph against the Hurricanes. With the target in sight, he and Josh Inglis hit three sixes off Colin de Grandhomme’s lone over before Hardie holed out to a juggling catch from Harry Nielsen.
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