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The Adelaide Strikers have secured a BBL finals berth and returned to the top of the ladder with a hard-fought 11-run home victory over the Hobart Hurricanes.
After Alex Carey’s maiden Twenty20 ton powered the Strikers to 4-187 on Wednesday night at Adelaide Oval, the home side survived some nervous moments during a plucky Hurricanes run chase which fell short at 4-176.
Alex Doolan stroked a career-best unbeaten 70 for the Hurricanes, who probably also needed a similar knock from emerging master blaster D’Arcy Short, the competition’s leading run-scorer.
Short looked on song early, muscling Michael Neser for 18 in his first over and heaving Ben Laughlin 20 rows into the Chappell Stand, but his 28-run contribution was more a cameo.
The required rate blew out to 116 runs from the last nine overs, before Doolan and Ben McDermott (45) smashed 102 for the third wicket.
Circumspect early, Doolan opened his shoulders, slugging three sixes off one Rashid Khan over.
McDermott holed out in the 18th over before Peter Siddle, having recovered from split webbing after a dropped catch, bowled a tight 19th over.
With 22 needed off Neser’s last over, it was a bridge too far for the ‘Canes, thanks largely to Carey’s 100 and Jake Weatherald’s personal-best 65.
The pair’s 171-run first-wicket stand was the highest partnership in Strikers history and the second best in Australian domestic T20 matches.
They were just one run shy of Rob Quiney and Luke Wright’s 172 in 2012 for the Melbourne Stars – also against the Hurricanes.
Jofra Archer was easily Hobart’s best bowler and brought about all four dismissals, taking 3-27 and ending the opening stand with some acrobatic fielding brilliance.
He dived full length and conjured a direct hit with one stump to aim at while on the ground to get rid of Weatherald.
After yorking Carey the following ball, Archer sparked a late fightback from the ‘Canes but the damage was already done.
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