The Hobart Hurricanes have found some form, but they face a different challenge when they host a red-hot Adelaide Strikers at Blundstone Arena tonight. Join The Roar for Big Bash live scores and coverage tonight from 7:10pm (AEDT).
The Big Bash is a recession-proof model. It continues to grow, and while the action on-field was sub-par, the crowd in Geelong yesterday is indicative of the potential this competition has to extend and expand into previously untapped regions.
It continues tonight with a cracking fixture between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Adelaide Strikers.
The home side first. The Hurricanes started slowly, but on the back of some D’Arcy Short magic against the Sydney Thunder last start, they got on the board with their first win of the season. They have a wealth of experience in their order, and Jofra Archer, one of their imports, is a serious talent.
The other overseas player, Tymal Mills, has failed to fire as yet, and Short did a lot to patch up what has been a misfiring batting unit thus far in BBL07. If they can string it together, they’ll beat anyone in this competition. It’s a matter of which side turns up this evening.
The Strikers are second on the ladder, and unbeaten in a very positive start to their campaign. Alex Carey and Travis Head have been immense, and they have the best spine in the competition in the form of Jono Wells, Jake Lehmann and Michael Neser. Ben Laughlin continues to take wickets for fun, and they really do look the complete package.
Prediction
This game will be close. The Hurricanes are due a complete performance, just as Mills is due to fire at some stage. If it’s tonight, they win. Blundstone Arena will be rocking, and it should be tight.
The Hurricanes to sneak home in a tight one.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:10pm (AEDT).
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 20 Complete GAME OVER HURRICANES WIN! STRIKERS 6/175 LOSE TO HURRICANES 5/183 by 7 RUNS Neser 2 (2) Rashid 4 (3) Jofra Archer is the hero. Nails 5 Yorkers, and they can't get him away. Proper death bowling, and don't England wish they had him in the current Ashes series. He ends with 3/15 off his 4 overs, and the Hurricanes win their second on the trot!
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
WICKET! Jono Wells – 28 (18) – Run Out, Wade. STR 6/171 That is unreal. Unreal. Archer bowls a 145km/h Yorker and Never can't get bat on it. They run through, and Wade throws the pegs down catching Wells just short.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
WICKET! Jake Lehmann – 16 (8) – LBW, Bowled Archer. STR 5/171 Jofra Archer take a bow! Quick, fast, spearing Yorker - and it traps Lehmann bang in front. Dead. Archer is absolutely jubilant.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 19 Complete STR 4/171 Wells 28 (18) Lehmann 16 (7) Mills to bowl, and the first is a wide. The second is a slower ball which Wells spanks for six. His third ball is a shocker, and Mills is lucky to get away with it. Lehmann is on strike, needing 17 from 10. Momentum with the Strikers. Single off the 3rd ball, nice slower ball from Mills. Single off the 4th, nice ball from Mills - getting it close to that off stump wide line. Huge, huge two balls in the context of this game coming up. Wide ball on the 4th again. Criminal. Absolutely criminal. Single off the fifth, another checked pull shot from the slower ball. Dot to finish the over! Nice close bouncer cramped him up. 144kmh. Handy.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 18 Complete STR 3/157 Wells 20 (14) Lehmann 14 (5) Dan Christian bowls the 18th, the first is a single to Wells, and the second a wide as he chases that wide Yorker. Lehmann spanks the third ball, but straight to point who fields well. Lehmann chunks the third ball, and gets 2 to mid on. Ball 4, and Lehmann is up to the task, spanking that to the cover boundary for 4. Two off the fifth to mid off, Wells is a little pocket rocket between the wickets. That is a huge blow. He swipes a SIX off the last ball - and the Strikers need 25 off the last 12 balls. This is a thriller at Blundstone Arena!
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
WICKET! Colin Ingram – 66 (44) – Caught Short, Bowled Mills. STR 4/142 Huge! Archer steps back off the Ingram pull shot, takes the mark on his tiptoes and tosses it inside to D'arcy Short who completes the catch. That could be the ball game. Great grab, and Archer has been touched by the hand of god tonight!
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 17 Complete STR 3/137 Wells 18 (11) Ingram 62 (40) Tymal Mills to bowl a huge 17th, and it's a single off the first to Wells. Ingram is the key man here. He slides inside the stumps and gets it off the toe end of the bat for 4 off the second.Third ball is a dot - up in the blockhole. Third is a slower ball bouncer which Ingram can't get away either - nice comeback from Mills with 2 balls to come in his set.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 16 Complete STR 3/137 Wells 18 (11) Ingram 62 (40) Dan Christian bowls the 16th, and the first is clipped for 2. The second ball is a nice slower ball - no runs. A single off the third, and the Canes are nosing ahead again here. Wide off the 4th ball as Christian chases the wide slower ball. Two off the fourth ball of the over. Single off the last, great over - only 8 off it.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 15 Complete STR 2/129 Wells 14 (7) Ingram 60 (38) Cam Boyce bowls the 15th over - and it's make or break. Wells sweeps and sweeps hard first up for a single. Ingram does the same off the second, and Wells pushes one on the third, too. Nice start from Boyce. That hurts for Boyce. Wells steps across his stumps and flat bats a six off the fourth ball. 11 off the over.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
If CA is really serious about DRS being too slow, surely they should be cracking down on obvious run-out calls being referred like that. How much of a better view do you need?
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 14 Complete STR 2/118 Wells 5 (3) Ingram 58 (36) Jofra Archer has swung things back for the Canes, big time. Wicket first ball, dot second, near run out on the third. Wells gets off the mark with a nice two off the 4th ball. Dot ball off the 5th, and a three to finish the over - nice batting from Wells. Only six off, though.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
WICKET! Travis Head – 44 (32) – Caught Milenko, Bowled Archer. STR 3/112 Huge wicket. Archer comes back into the attack, and his low full toss is skied by Head who tried to deposit that for six over midwicket. Simple catch for Milenko, and that is a huge, huge wicket for Archer in the context of the match.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 13 Complete STR 2/112 Head 44 (31) Ingram 56 (34) Rose comes back into the attack as the Canes try to wrestle back some control. His first two balls are taken for a dot and a single. Ingram rocks back and takes 2 off the 3rd ball - smart batting. Single off the 4th, and they are just rotating the strike at the moment. As I type, Ingram dill scoops a 4 off the 5th ball and that is his 50 off 33 balls. Finishes the over with a reverse sweep for 4. The Hurricanes look completely lost here.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 12 Complete STR 2/100 Head 41 (29) Ingram 47 (30) Mills bowls the 12th over, and the first ball is a slow, slow, slooooowwwwww bouncer - Head has 3 swings at it, makes a cup of tea and still can't find a gap. Anyway - on we go. Second ball to Head is in the slot, and head pulls and pulls well to the midwicket fence for SIX. The Strikers are flying now... Single off the third ball off a pretty average slower ball it must be said. Pressure right on the Canes currently. As I type, Ingrams' back foot punch flies through point for 4. Danger signs for Bailey and his side, and Mills is bowling poorly. Fifth ball is a single, and the sixth is a slower ball which Travis Head waits on, and hits for SIX over mid on. Three massive overs in a row from the Strikers, and the Canes are firmly on the back foot here.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 11 Complete STR 2/88 Head 29 (26) Ingram 42 (28) Boyce to continue, and his first ball is punched for a single. Head consolidates that monster over off Milenko, planting the second for four inside out over cover for 4. He rocks back and nudges the third for a single - bringing Ingram back on strike. Singles and twos to finish - 10 off, and the Strikers are back in this.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 10 Complete STR 2/72 Head 22 (22) Ingram 38 (25) Simon Milenko bowls the 10th, and Head clips his first for a single before Ingram plants the second over midwicket for a big SIX.As I type, Ingram goes again! It's in the slot, but Ingram still smokes it for six. Great shot. Dot ball off the 4th as Milenko pushes it a little wider. Now Head lines up and PUMPS A HUGE SIX. Milenko has been taken for 20 off that over.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 9 Complete STR 2/52 Head 15 (20) Ingram 25 (21) Cam Boyce continues his fine BBL|07. A stumping chance against Ingram comes up short, but Head and Ingram can only push singles off the remainder of his set, until the last ball which Ingram scoops for 4. Nice shot.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 7 Complete STR 2/35 Head 10 (14) Ingram 14 (15) Cam Boyce bowls the 7th, and its a beauty. twos and ones the order of the over. Sliding the ball across the left handers.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 6 Complete STR 2/30 Head 6 (9) Ingram 13 (14) Tymal Mills bowls the 6th and final over of this powerplay. His first ball is a dot, the second is a short one to Head who pulls it for a single. Another short one off the third sees a no-ball awarded - Ingram gets the free hit, but can't cash in. Next ball, he makes amends and slaps a back foot drive through the covers for four. Mills expensive early, again. Two dots to finish - nice comeback.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
Over 4 Complete STR 2/24 Head 5 (7) Ingram 9 (9) Nice over from Rose. Ingram plants him for four back over his head first ball, Rose responds by spearing it into leg stump for the remainder of his set. 8 off.