That is it from the coverage of this fixture of the BBL12 between the Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers. This is Badal Pareek signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak, scorers/analysts Paras Yadav & Chandan Kumar Singh. Thanks for joining us and stay tuned in for all other coverages from across the world.
Matthew Short (Player of the match):"The most important thing was to have fun, it helped that we had had strong beginnings the previous season. It's excellent to put up a win right away because a strong start in the batting PP allowed us to relax later. He hopes to spend more time in the center and adds significant leadership to the group in addition to his bat skills. In the end, we gave a comprehensive performance and excelled in each of the game's three phases."
Update 4:55 PM IST | The Strikers have won the match by 51 runs. Earlier in the day, Adelaide Strikers won the toss and elected to bat first. The players backed skipper Siddle's decision to bat first as they posted a mammoth total of 184 runs in their 20 overs. Siddle and Rashid led the attack with the ball and ensured that they restrict the Sixers to 132 runs.
Riding on a sensational knock from Matthew Short and a superb collective bowling effort, Adelaide Strikers edged past Sydney Sixers by 51 runs in the second match of the Big Bash League 2022-23. The Strikers opened their account in the points table with this convincing win.
After opting to bat first, the Strikers suffered an early setback with Steve O'Keefe removing Jake Weatherald for one in the second over. However, the Sixers' happiness proved short-lived, as Matthew Short and Chris Lynn stitched a counterattacking 95-run stand for the second wicket.
After Lynn fell prey to Izharulhaq Naveed, Short and Adam Hose added further 53 runs to ensure a defendable total for the Strikers. Although Short got out for an excellent 53-ball 84, Hose (40 off 22) stayed till the final ball, propelling the Strikers to 184 in 20 overs.
Veteran seamer Sean Abbott starred with the ball for the Sixers, scalping three wickets for 37 runs. Naveed was impressive on debut, claiming two wickets for 25 runs in his four-over spell.
Sixers crumble like a pack of cards as if chasing 185 against the Strikers' potent attack wasn't challenging enough, the Sixers made things tougher for themselves by losing wickets at regular intervals.
Two pillars of their batting, Kurtis Patterson and James Vince couldn't survive Henry Thornton's new-ball burst, while Josh Philippe and skipper Moises Henriques were deceived to perfection by the spin maestro Rashid Khan.
However, Jordan Silk and Dan Christian showed some resistance, adding 37 runs for the fourth wicket. But soon after Silk's departure, the Sixers lost their way, finishing at 132 in 20 overs.
Rashid weaved his magic yet again in a T20, bagging three wickets for 21 runs. Meanwhile, Thornton recorded the best bowling figures in the match, as he picked four wickets for 20 runs.
OVER 20
Sydney Sixers
133/7
Hayden Kerr
13(9)
Ben Dwarshuis
3(3)
Peter Siddle
0-20(4.0)
19.6 P Siddle to H Kerr
2 Fuller ball on the stumps and Kerr works it over the bowler for a single. An easy win for the Strikers as they crushed the Sixers by 51 runs.
19.5 P Siddle to H Kerr
2 Low full toss ball down the leg and Kerr scoops it to the fine leg for a couple of runs.
19.4 P Siddle to H Kerr
2 Fuller and straight on the middle and Kerr drives it straight along the ground for a couple of runs.
19.4 P Siddle to H Kerr
WD WIDE!! Good length ball down the leg, wide signaled by the umpire.
19.3 P Siddle to B Dwarshuis
1 Fuller ball on the off stump and Dwarshuis drives it to covers for a single.
19.2 P Siddle to H Kerr
1lb Fuller ball on the pads and Kerr gets the inside edge of the bat on the pads for a single.
19.1 P Siddle to B Dwarshuis
1 Fuller ball on the off and Dwarshuis opens the face of the bat and guides it to covers for a single.
OVER 19
Sydney Sixers
123/7
Hayden Kerr
7(5)
Ben Dwarshuis
1(1)
Henry Thornton
4-20(4.0)
18.6 H Thornton to H Kerr
2 Low full toss ball on the pads and Kerr drills it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.
18.5 H Thornton to H Kerr
2 Fuller ball on the middle and leg and Kerr drills it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.
18.4 H Thornton to B Dwarshuis
1 Fuller ball on the stumps and Dwarshuis works it to sweeper cover for a single.
W WICKET!! BOWLED'EM!! Low full toss ball on the off stump and Abbott shuffles across and goes for a scoop shot but didn't get anything on it as the ball crashed into the furniture.