Who won the bat-flip?

Sorry to quash your hopes and dreams, they failed terribly in what could have been the game for them to fire away. Usman Khawaja failed early after having scored 3 beautiful boundaries, including one off the first delivery of the game. However, it had to be Michael Neser who got the better of the left-handed batsman with a nice delivery. 

Oh, Thunder fan, hope is indeed the best of things, but remember that it does not always come true. This time, Ferguson was dismissed early, for 1 run, getting wrapped up right in front to Peter Siddle. But hold up! The ball was well beyond the stump, and since we do not have DRS, that was it for Ferguson in the game. Sorry, Thunder fan. 

Let’s get to business, should Alex Hales be picked for England?

So, what exactly happened after they were 88/2?

Well, they kind of lost the plot and succumbed to 100/4 in the span of two overs, after Alex Hales holed out at the deep. After Hales' dismissal, they put themselves in a muddle losing the other Alex in the span of 12 deliveries. More importantly, it put the brakes to the innings after they were playing fluid-cricket. 

Oh, they did end the innings pretty alright, but I reckon 15-20 short of the score that they would have been hoping for after being put to bat first. A late flurry from Chris Morris and Arjun Nair ensured that they got to 151 after 20 overs, which in Adelaide conditions is fairly a small total. However, if there was one side that could prevent the Strikers on the day, it could be the leading wicket-taker Daniel Sams. 

How is there no mention of Rashid Khan?

Any word on that Siddle dismissal?

Siddle’s run-out to dismiss Arjun Nair was freakish, how he even managed to get a spike on the ball, we will never know. It surely did prevent another 20 runs being added to the total for the Thunder, which could have made a huge difference chasing for the Strikers. Siddle made it worse by apologising to the non-striker Nair, some call it sweet, the others plain devilish. 

Nah, nope, once again, you are on the wrong side. Phil Salt and Jake Weatherald have been exceptional in the tournament but never have been on the consistent side of things. It did not change this time around too, where they only scored 7 runs for the opening wicket before Salt was dismissed by Daniel Sams. 

Did the ‘golden boy’ Daniel Sams take any wicket?

What about my skipper, Travis Head?

Oh, home-boy Travis Head certainly showed the home crowd what he is capable of, which is breathtaking shots. He smoked the ball around the corner for four boundaries, including a late slice on the off-side. All of this brilliance gave the home side an upper edge over the Thunder before it came crashing down when he was bowled by Jonathan Cook. 

Absolutely, Jonathan Cook dismissed the Strikers skipper with a bang-average delivery just outside the off-stump. The length, however, cramped the left-hander for width as he smashed the ball back onto the stumps. Pin-drop silence at the Oval, shattered stumps and possibly a shattered end to Strikers season? Furthermore, he bowled some incredible lines throughout the game. 

I feel gutted, please tell me if Wells and Alex Carey performed?

So, how many wickets did Daniel Sams pick in his final spell?

Daniel Sams was brilliant and at his best when it mattered, killing the game for the home side. They could only get to 143 at the end of 20 overs, falling short of the score by 9 runs. It was gutting to see the Strikers go home in such fashion after their never-say-die attitude. 

Ah, the obvious question we were waiting for. They play the Melbourne Stars at the MCG, the home for the Stars. Guess what momentum can do to you, four wins on a trot vs four losses in a row, take your pick for the team to reach the final against Sydney Sixers. However, to reach there, the Thunder have to defeat the Stars at the Mighty G.