On this day in 2018: Adelaide Strikers claim their maiden BBL title
Five years ago, on 4th February 2018, the Adelaide Strikers experienced their moment of glory. The side won the Big Bash title for the first time in history, beating the Hobart Hurricanes in a high-scoring classic.
Weatherald hits a ton
On the big day of the final, the Strikers won the toss and opted to bat first. And, the Adelaide innings was all about one man, Jake Weatherald. The left-handed opening batsman stood up for his side when it mattered the most and smashed a sensational 115 off just 70 balls. Skipper Travis Head chipped in with a fast 29 ball 44 for his side, as the Strikers ended their first innings with a humongous total of 202 runs on the board.
Almost every bowler from the Hobart Hurricanes was thrashed, and none of them went at an economy rate of below 7.50 runs an over. An asking rate of over 10 runs an over, with the added pressure of a final was always going to be a challenge in the run chase for the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes fall apart
The Hurricanes lost opener Tim Paine early. But D’Arcy Short and skipper George Bailey kept their side in the hunt. The duo put on a scintillating 81 run partnership for the second wicket in just 9.3 overs. But then, just when it looked as if the match was in the balance, Peter Siddle scalped the wicket of Bailey for 46. After that, the Hurricanes lost wickets at regular intervals, and at the end of their 20 overs, they could score only 177 runs and went down to the Strikers by 25 runs.
Weatherald ton seals Strikers’ maiden BBL title: Weatherald clubbed the Hurricanes bowlers to all corners of the Adelaide Oval, ensuring that the Strikers did not feel the absence of Rashid Khan and Billy Stanlake pic.twitter.com/ZosAihJt9B
— Muhammad Usman Ahmad (@UsmanSwift) February 4, 2018
Short top-scored for his side with a 44 ball 68, and Daniel Christian chipped in with an unbeaten 29 off 19 deliveries. For the Strikers, the pick of the bowlers was Siddle. The bowling veteran was undoubtedly the stand out performer with the ball for his side and scalped 3 wickets from his 4 overs giving away just 17 runs. In a match where 379 runs were scored in 40 overs, Siddle’s economy rate of just 4.25 was indeed commendable.
Jake Weatherald won the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his magical innings in the summit clash. And definitely, it was a victory that every member of the Adelaide Strikers squad will cherish for posterity.
