Adelaide’s finals hopes on thin ice after Alex Carey’s blistering 71 wasn’t enough to lift them to victory over Perth Scorchers
Perth Scorchers have overcome a powerhouse knock from Ashes hero Alex Carey to post a 32-run BBL victory over the Adelaide Strikers.
Opener Mitch Marsh scored 88 off 51 balls on Sunday night to lift the Scorchers to a formidable 4-232 at Adelaide Oval; the fourth time this season Perth have surpassed the 200 mark.
In reply, Adelaide threatened to pull off a remarkable victory on reaching 2-139 after 12 overs.
Carey (71 off 39) was shaping for a match-winning century at that point, fresh from plundering 323 runs in the Ashes at 46.14.
His 93-run opening stand with Matt Short (52 off 31 balls) set the perfect platform for the Strikers.
An increasingly desperate Adelaide lost 6-14 as the wheels fell off, and finished on 8-200.
Carey’s was the second wicket in that collapse, with the wicketkeeper well caught by a diving Ashton Turner off Mahli Beardman in the 16th over.
Turner made a point to hold up the ball above the ground after he was controversially denied a catch against the Renegades days earlier.
Holt bowled two half-trackers to start his BBL career, and they were dispatched for a four and a six by Short, but he rebounded brilliantly from there.
“He did well to go for 10 off his first two. It should have been 12,” Marsh joked to Fox Cricket when asked about Holt’s horror start.
“That was amazing, the way he came back. You could tell he was nervous.
“He’s worked extremely hard over the last four or five years. He’s balanced work and study to try to get a crack at the Big Bash and to play for the Scorchers.
“He was in the fight, and really happy for him.”
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Marsh and Finn Allen (38 off 16 balls) ensured the Scorchers got off to a flyer, plundering 69 runs off the four-over Power Play period.
The introduction of Lloyd Pope (2-36) in the fifth over paid dividends, with Allen caught at cover and Cooper Connolly clean bowled next ball.
Marsh was able to negotiate Pope’s hat-trick ball with ease, but the introduction of spin – particularly the extra slow leg-spin of Cameron Boyce – momentarily halted the Scorchers’ momentum.
The lightning-hot start meant the Scorchers were still sitting at a healthy 2-123 after 10 overs, with Marsh needing just 29 deliveries to bring up his half-century.
Inglis produced a handy cameo in a knock that featured four fours and three sixes, but Marsh’s bid for a second century of the BBL season was ended in the 17th over when he holed out in the deep off Boyce (1-31).
Aaron Hardie (34no off 22 balls) and Ashton Turner (20no off eight balls) powered the Scorchers in the death overs.
The Strikers didn’t have any luck with their pace options.
Luke Wood (0-58 off four overs), Jamie Overton (0-30 off two) and Hassan Ali (0-52 off four) were all punished, especially whenever they ventured down the leg side.
KFC BBL|15 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
HUR
9
6
2
0
1
0.398
0
13
2
SCO
8
5
3
0
0
1.162
0
10
3
STA
8
5
3
0
0
0.909
0
10
4
SIX
8
4
3
0
1
0.458
0
9
5
HEA
8
4
4
0
0
-0.446
0
8
6
STR
8
3
5
0
0
-0.42
0
6
7
REN
7
3
4
0
0
-0.713
0
6
8
THU
8
1
7
0
0
-1.348
0
2
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
