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The Perth Scorchers will look to seal their top-four berth in the Big Bash League 2013-14 when they take on the struggling Adelaide Strikers in the 25th game this season on Thursday and you can follow the scores live from 7.40 pm AEDT.
The Scorchers have had a decent run since losing their opening game this season to the Brisbane Heat. In the following five matches, they have won four and much of the credit needs to go to their bowlers.
A look at the top bowlers’ charts has two Scorchers in the top six in terms of wickets taken and two others in the top five when one looks at the economies of those who have bowled at least five overs in the competition.
Add a fifth, Patrick Cummins, to the line-up and the Scorchers will go into this game with a strong arsenal in their ranks.
Cummins was declared fit by Cricket Australia after he played in a couple of lower grade games and will take field for this game, joining the likes of Yasir Arafat, Brad Hogg and Jason Behrendorff in the line-up.
Nathan Coulter-Nile’s national call-up means he will miss this game, but the inclusion of Cummins goes close to compensating for his loss.
The Scorchers’ brand of batting in the competition comes close to how a team would bat in a 50-over game.
In most games, they haven’t relied on their openers to give them a whacking start, more so providing a beginning that lays the right foundation for their lower-order batsmen to exploit.
There has been a dependence on Simon Katich to score most of the runs at the top, especially now Shaun Marsh has left for national duties, while Mitchell Marsh has provided them with the acceleration towards the end.
In their previous game against the Sixers, Mitchell got a promotion up to three in the order but was dismissed second ball without scoring.
One gets the sense he is a batsman more suited to the second half of the innings and that’s how the Scorchers could decide to use him this time.
As far as the Strikers are concerned, they haven’t yet done justice to their batting prowess so far this season.
Michael Klinger aside, none of the Strikers batsmen feature even in the top 20 of the top batsmen’s list. And rubbing salt into the wound is the fact that Klinger will miss this game because of fitness concerns.
Johan Botha will be back to lead the side but while this is good news as far as leadership is concerned, his addition will mean Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan has to sit out. That will further reduce their batting strength.
Three others make it to the Strikers’ 13-man squad, Travis Head, Trent Lawford and Jono Dean, which means at least one of them will make it to the starting XI.
Join us for the Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers match in the Big Bash League 2013-14 on Thursday and you can follow the live score of this game from 7.40 pm AEDT and post your comments below.
10:54pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:54pm | ! Report
What an excellent T20 game here, went right down to the last ball and the Scorchers come away winners. That’s taken them to 10 points and zooming into the semi-finals. The Strikers have fought hard here but fail to cross the line in the end…
…all credit to the way Simmons batted. He was the difference between the two teams, a 41-ball 102 should have probably resulted in an easy win. Instead a Scorchers collapse saw the Strikers sneak back into the game. They did well with the bat too, getting off to a good start – 0/60 in 6 – but as was expected, the middle-overs from the spinners slowed them down a little.
They kept fighting though, the Strikers, and got to within a scoring shot of the target. In the end, it was Scorchers who prevailed.
Just result? One would like to think so. That’s it from me then, will be back for tomorrow’s Australia-England ODI! Ciao.
10:58pm
Praveen said | 10:58pm | ! Report
Great game, bug bash is a good tournament
11:16pm
Nathan of Perth said | 11:16pm | ! Report
Cracker of a match! Shocked it came down to a bailbiter, we nearly squandered that century. Great effort by the Strikers to make a contest of it.
Something strange in the air at the ground today!
Now for the long wearying trek home, congestion city out here…
10:50pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:50pm | ! Report
Lot of tactics being discussed between Arafat and Katich, but in the end it’s a full-toss that’s been hit to square-leg for just one!
The Scorchers have won by four runs!
10:49pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:49pm | ! Report
And Richardson has opened his stance up and smacked it but straight to the long-on fielder. Just for a single!
That’s six needed from the last ball. Arafat has continued to bowl those yorkers and it’s not been easy to hit them.
6 needed off 1.
10:48pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:48pm | ! Report
Crunched down the ground by only a single to Ludeman!
Seven needed from two.
10:48pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:48pm | ! Report
Whoa, what a smart shot!
Ludeman can slog them, then he can smash them straight and now, he gets a yorker outside the off, and he dabs it through the point region! The third-man fielder was up, and that’s squeezed away to the fence1
8 off 3 needed
10:47pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:47pm | ! Report
Ludeman has come back on strike…
…and he has carted it down the ground for a four! What a shot, it was hit from the middle of the bat and he’s gone to 10.
12 needed from 4! This is exciting stuff…
10:46pm
Suneer Chowdhary said | 10:46pm | ! Report
Yasir Arafat to bowl the last over.
First ball, it’s smashed back at Arafat and he’s dropped it! Goes through for a single.
15 needed from 5.