Adelaide Strikers bagged victory in the knockout final and put an end to Perth Scorchers’ historic bid for a hat-trick of BBL titles, despite being in trouble at 48 for 4. Strikers will now face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger and the winner will meet Sydney Sixers in the final. They defended 155 for 7 with legspinners Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce combining for seven wickets. Scorchers, who had a late-season fadeout, were stunned by Strikers.
Despite losses, Strikers dominated the game with Weatherald, who scored 56 runs off 32 balls, while Boyce and Pope performed exceedingly well to take the wickets. Scorchers and Western Australia had swept all six domestic titles over the last two seasons, but they could not stop Strikers’ hot performance.
Strikers’ skipper Matthew Short was expected to set a big target but it was Jake Weatherald, with a quick fifty, who took the lead, scoring 56 runs. It was a tough game but Strikers ended up smashing 45 runs off the last five overs, thanks to Ben Manenti and Henry Thornton, finishing with a competitive total. Debutant Sam Fanning’s fearless approach with the bat was notable but Scorchers succumbed to strong bowling by the Strikers.
Strikers’ defense was remarkably strong, encapsulating every opportunity to take wickets, which ultimately led to Scorchers crashing to 105 and exiting the BBL competition. The win marked a remarkable turnaround for Strikers and will see them travel to the Gold Coast for the next round.
