Short hit 84 runs, but Strikers won by 51 runs thanks to four runs from Thornton and three runs from Rashid Khan. Adelaide Strikers defeated Sydney Sixers by 51 runs at Adelaide Oval, scoring 184 for 6 (Short 84, Lynn 41, Hose 40, Abbott 3-37) and 133 for 7 (Silk 36, Thornton 4-20, Rashid 3-21). The Strikers have made an excellent start to their BBL campaign, dazzling with both bat and ball to defeat Sydney Sixers.
Henry Thornton’s career-best 4 for 20 helped the Strikers hold the Sixers to 133 for 7 after they had amassed an impressive 184 for 6 on Wednesday night, largely thanks to Matthew Short’s 84. For the Strikers, Thornton, and legspinner Rashid Khan played well with the ball. The Strikers wanted to get back at the Sixers for winning the Challenger Final at the SCG last season in a last-ball heartbreaker to advance to the decider.
Jordan Silk scored the most points for the Sixers, whose lackluster response started slow and never recovered. Thornton, who made his debut in the third over, struck twice in his first three balls to get rid of the dangerous Kurtis Patterson and James Vince. As Strikers tightened their grip on the game, Josh Philippe and captain Moises Henriques both fell victim to Rashid’s wrongdoers.
Sixers were hoping to match the home team’s 30-run haul when they took the two-over power surge, but Rashid and Peter Siddle, the Strikers’ best bowlers, stopped them from scoring more than they should have. Dan Christian and Sean Abbott were stricken when Thornton returned to the attack close to the end. After surviving the BBL’s historic first-ever DRS challenge, Short had earlier led the Strikers’ attack with the bat.
When umpire Bruce Oxenford ruled Short lbw to Abbott, Strikers temporarily fell to 2 for 2 following the early loss of Jake Weatherald. Short made the most of his reprieve by smoking the Sixers’ attack in his classy 53-ball knock after successfully reviewing the decision and television replays confirming that the ball missed the stumps.
Chris Lynn, the competition’s all-time leading run scorer, and swashbuckling England import Adam Hose, both impressed with their new team, providing excellent support for Short.
Abbott and Izharulhaq Naveed, a 19-year-old Afghan legspinner, were the best Sixers bowlers, taking three and two wickets, respectively.