The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Khawaja hits 86 as Thunder win in BBL

Usman Khawaja must play in New Zealand. (Image: Sydney Thunder)
11th January, 2018
11

For a bloke who has made his name and way in Test cricket, Usman Khawaja sure can play T20.

The in-form left-hander followed up his 171 in the final Ashes Test with a classy 86 off 51 balls in Thursday night’s three-run win over the Perth Scorchers at Spotless Stadium.

A unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 137 between Khawaja’s Test colleague Cameron Bancroft (75 not out off 56 balls) and Hilton Cartwright (65no off 41) almost stole the match for the Scorchers.

They remain in sixth spot, but move to within two points of fourth, while the Scorchers stay second.

Perth needed 74 runs off the final five overs. Needing 24 off the last, Cartwright took 10 off the first two balls from Mitch McClenaghan, but the Scorchers fell just short.

Khawaja’s authority at the top of order bodes well for a late-season charge, especially once English import James Vince recovers from a stomach bug which prevented him playing on Thursday.

Khawaja struck successive sixes off England veteran Tim Bresnan, pulled and swept with power and hit some majestic shots down the ground.

Khawaja’s seamless transition back to cricket’s shortest form shouldn’t have surprised anyone.

Advertisement

He was a mainstay of their 2016 title win, notching two centuries and and two fifties in his four innings in that tournament.

Thursday’s knock was his first for the Thunder since scoring 70 in the 2016 final. He clearly hasn’t lost his taste for the frenetic format, despite having little time to adjust.

“I had a little hit yesterday but it was more of a mindset change,” Khawaja told Network Ten.

The Scorchers successfully reached a target of 186 against the Renegades earlier in the week in Perth, but Thursday’s chase only began going after a disastrous start.

Will Bosisto fell in the second over and they lost a wicket in the fifth, sixth and seventh overs to crash to 4-35.

The wickets were shared among four bowlers with paceman Gurinder Sandhu (1-21) wobbling the ball about and leggie Fawad Ahmed (1-19) also asking plenty of tough questions.

Bancroft, who hit his highest T20 score, was the only Scorcher to get into double figures in the first 11 overs.

Advertisement

He had lives on 36 and 40 when he was dropped by Khawaja and Ben Rohrer respectively, but received the change of luck he needed after a lean Test trot.

The chances emboldened Bancroft who, after the second drop, whacked 10 off the next two deliveries from spinner Chris Green.

Cartwright was dropped on 38 off Green, who went for 19 in the 17th over to leave Perth needing 44 off the last three.

close