AS vs ST | Overton and Scott take Adelaide Strikers to nervy six-run win over Sydney Thunder

‌Adelaide Strikers kept their Big Bash League campaign afloat with a tense six-run win over Sydney Thunder in Adelaide on Tuesday. Liam Scott and Jamie Overton shone with the bat and ball, respectively, as the home side won their third game this season to be placed fifth with six points from six games. Meanwhile, the visitors are on their way out of the tournament with their sixth loss in seven games and are placed at the bottom of the pile with two points.

After being put into bat at the Adelaide Oval, the Strikers had a dream start with Chris Lynn smashing David Willey for a huge six over mid-wicket in the first ball of the innings. But the left-arm medium pacer came back with the wicket of skipper Matthew Short in the last ball of the same over. Meanwhile, fellow opener Lynn also departed in the next over, hitting back-to-back boundaries of Nathan McAndrew before miscuing a heave to leave the home side at 19/2. However, Mackenzie Harvey, who walked in at three, scored three boundaries off McAndrew as the hosts ended the four-over powerplay on a high at 39/2. Though skipper David Warner turned to spin in the next over, Harvey was unperturbed as he welcomed Chris Green with consecutive boundaries in the last two balls. Along with Jason Sangha, Harvey added 68 runs for the third wicket before the duo departed in the space of 10 deliveries with more than seven overs to play. The southpaw had six fours during his knock of 38 off 34 balls, while Sangha chipped in with 31. However, Liam Scott’s unbeaten cameo helped the side go past the 150-run mark and end at a competitive total. The Strikers’ all-rounder’s knock of 49 was laden with seven boundaries and came in 32 balls, and took them to 165/8 in 20 overs. Meanwhile, pacer Wes Agar finished with a spell of 3/16 in four overs, with McAndrew chipping in with two wickets for the visitors.

Matthew Gilkes started the chase aggressively with a six off the second ball of the innings from pacer Luke Wood, while Warner looked steady from the other end with a couple of boundaries as they ended the powerplay at 29/0. The pair extended their opening wicket stand to 73 runs before Gilkes edged Overton to wicketkeeper Harvey in the 10th over. The southpaw had four fours and two sixes in his 33-ball 43 as the visitors were left to chase 92 in the last 10 overs. But Gilkes’ dismissal triggered a mini collapse, with Thunder losing two more wickets as the home side bowled a couple of tight overs. However, new batter Nic Maddinson and Warner smashed three sixes in the next three overs to take the side back into the contest. Meanwhile, the Thunder skipper also completed his half-century, in 38 balls, as the target zoomed to 47 off the last five overs. But Overton cleaned up Maddinson in the next, after his cameo of 21 off 14 balls, as the match was well-poised yet again. With some big hits from Warner and the lower order, the Thunder brought the equation down to 13 in the final over. However, Wood held his nerve to bowl an exceptional 20th, denying Warner any runs in the first three balls to seal the deal. The Thunder skipper remained unbeaten on 67 off 51 balls, with seven fours and a six in his innings, but Overton’s impressive spell of 3/25 in four overs restricted the visitors to 159/7 to turn the match in the hosts’ favour.