ADELAIDE: In the 51st match of the ongoing edition of Big Bash League (BBL), the home side Adelaide Strikers sealed a stunning victory against Sydney Sixers by eight wickets, here on Monday.
The strikers chased down a target of 162 with eight wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare, thanks to their top-order batter Ian Cockbain, who scored an unbeaten 71 to power his side to their sixth victory.
Set to chase 162, the Strikers had a decent start to their innings as the openers provided a solid 45-runs stand. The duo of Matt Renshaw and Henry Hunt appeared in top-notch as the pair powered the side to 45 in the fourth over before Hunt fell victim to Ben Dwarshuis. Hunt scored a quick 15 off just nine balls, including a boundary and a six.
Renshaw then partnered with Cockbain and put on a fifty-runs partnership for the second wicket. Renshaw departed in the 10th over, soon after reaching his half-century. He scored 50 off 31 balls, including seven boundaries.
Cockbain, on the other hand, did not hold back and kept sailing the ball all over the park. He scored a fiery 71 not-out on a mere 42 balls, laced with five boundaries and four sixes. With a handy 27* from Jonathan Wells, the pair managed to seal the sixth victory for the home side in the 18th over.
For the Sixers, Dwarshuis and Hayden Kerr claimed one wicket apiece.
Batting first, the Sixers too, had a decent start to their innings as the side was 72/1 in the 10th over, but, collapsed to 83/4 in the 13th over. The fumble prevented the Sixers from amassing a massive total as the visiting side could only score 161 for the loss of seven wickets in their quota of 20 overs.
Jack Edwards scored a run-a-ball 34, followed by the top-scorer and the lone warrior with the bat for the Sixers – Justin Avendano, who scored a quickfire 52 off 29 balls, including a boundary and five sixes. His heroics, however, could not help his side to post a commendable total.
For the Strikers, Fawad Ahmed led the bowling chart with his three wickets, while Peter Siddle bagged two. Henry Thornton and Renshaw, on the other hand, made one scalp each.
Following this victory, the Strikers have strengthened their fourth position on the points table, while the Sixers remained at the second.
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