Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers Update
Sydney Sixers have won the toss and have opted to field against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger, at the Iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Sydney Sixers have lost only one game out of the 6 they have played at home this season, and therefore seemed that they will enjoy the home-field advantage. The absence of Josh Philippe, who has been forced out of the finals due to Covid-19, became a big setback to their prospects to some extent.
On the other flip, Adelaide Strikers got off to a slow start in their innings, losing their opening batsmen Alex Carey and Matthew Short in a quick session. The Sydney Sixers appear to be in command of the show, as their bowlers stormed in on a strong note to seize control of the game. Steve OKeefe & Sean Abbott made the crucial breakthroughs for Sixers, upon scooping up the Strikers destructive opening pair Carey 1 (2) & Matt Short 6 (5), Travis Head 3 (5), accordingly.
Despite dropping three wickets, Strikers batsmen Ian Cockbain and Jonathan Wells stood firm for the side, carrying the responsibility on their shoulders to win the match. The duo progressively gained momentum, forming a crucial wicket-to-wicket combination that restores the game’s momentum. They played well together to establish the Strikers’ innings and set a difficult goal for the Sixers.
On the other hand, the Sixers have done everything they can to limit the flow of runs and destroy the partnership between Ian Cockbain and Jonathan Wells, and that came displayed when Abbott comes in attack to pick well-settled Ian Cockbain 48 (42).
As the Strikers lost well-established batsman Ian Cockbain, the next batters Jonathan Wells remained strong at undefeated 62 off 47, and Matt Renshaw carried the momentum with a quickfire 36 off 20 with his angled bat, maintaining the Strikers’ chances of posting a challenging total for the Sixers. The Adelaide Strikers, however, managed to set a respectable score of 168 for the Sydney Sixers in 20 overs.
The Sydney Sixers got off to a slow start in their effort to surpass the Adelaide Strikers’ run total. Sixers, much like Strikers, lost one of their opening batters, Justin Avendano, for just 1 (8) run, failing to find the line and length of Henry Thornton’s delivery. After making their first breakthrough, the Strikers were optimistic that they could grab the remaining wickets in a quick session and conclude the game under full control.
On the other side, the Sixers have had a major blow upon forcing out their 3-players due to Covid-19, Hayden Kerr and Jake Carder were on the attack, until Thornton bags his 2nd wicket in the form of Carder 10 (13). Then, Hayden Kerr and Moises Henriques made ought to lead the team from the front to change the course of the game.
But unfortunately, Moises Henriques 13 (16) and Daniel Christian 1 (4) were also failed to form a wicket-to-wicket partnership, coming up short of Peter Siddle and Harry Conway, accordingly. Hayden Kerr was the lone batsman who seemed to be really aggressive, smashing an undefeated 98 in just 58 balls. Along with Kerr, the other batter, Sean Abbott, added 41 (20) with some booming strokes punishing the loose deliveries.
As the equation wraps up, the spectators’ choice of who would win the contest got more difficult. Jordan Silk, who came into bat soon after Ben Dwarshuis got dismissed for a golden duck, was injured. However, after many twists and turns, the Sydney Sixers won the Challenger against the Adelaide Strikers by four wickets to qualify for the finals, where they will meet the finalists Perth Scorchers on Friday, 28th January, at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne.
Twitter Reactions:
