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.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
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...
Praveen
Guest
Great game, bug bash is a good tournament
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Crunched down the ground by only a single to Ludeman! Seven needed from two.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
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.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Whoa! Wow! Wow! Six! What a shot from Ludeman, first ball! It was a slower one from Cummins, and on a length and he has slogged it, thwacked it over square-leg for a six. That spices things up there... 17 needed from 6.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Mistimed and caught! Cummins gets his first wicket on return! That was a length ball from him and Reardon was looking to hoick it away as one would have expected but gets it on the toe of his bat I think... ...gone for 30, with the Strikers needing 23 from 7 now.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wide outside the off and very full from Cummins, Reardon has squeezed it through the off side for a couple. 23 needed from 8.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Good ball first up from Cummins, a full ball outside the off and he can only hit it straight back for a couple. Next ball though, it's been carted by Reardon for a six! Wow, that's a crucial one, he had caught it there, Cartwright and overbalanced into the fence! He tried to whip it back but cannot! Gone for a six... ...next ball is a no-ball for over the waist no-ball! So that's a free-hit which is a quick bouncer, 143 km/hr and beaten! 25 needed from 9
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Pat Cummins will bowl the 19. Can the Strikers score 15-20 in this one?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Full-toss and that's hit straight to long-on for just a single. So six off the first ball and three off the next five. Nine in the over. 33 needed from 12.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Reardon tucks away the penultimate delivery for a single to fine-leg. 5/170 in 17.5
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Kane Richardson has come in at seven. Beaten the first ball before smacking one back and misfielded by Hogg. Allows them a single. 5/169 in 17.4
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
36 needed from 16, which is achievable, much more than the 70 off the last five.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
What a shot! Skipper hits a six! Botha was looking to slog for once but got it very full and enough room to swing, six over long-off! Next one though, he plays across the line and is bowled! Botha's gone, bowled! Big wicket but they need to continue scoring here, so cannot attach much blame. 5/168 in 17.2
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Brad Hogg comes back on, 0/15 in 3 overs for him.