Rashid Khan would be on cloud nine today as, apart from getting the T20I Player of the Decade award from the International Cricket Council (ICC), he also led his BBL side Adelaide Strikers to a huge 71-run win over the Perth Scorchers at the Adelaide Oval.
Although the last two wickets were picked up by pacers Peter Siddle and Daniel Worrall, it were the spinners that did all the damage before that, rendering Scorchers helpless in the middle. Between leg spinner Rashid Khan and left-arm orthodox tweaker Danny Briggs, the Strikers had four important scalps from the Scorchers' lineup.
While Briggs, 29, picked up dangerous Mitchell Marsh and lower-order hitter Jhye Richardson very cheaply, the man from Afghanistan was instrumental in dismissing overseas star Colin Munro and all-rounder Aaron Hardie.
The two of them gave away just 26 runs in six overs to account for the four wickets. Briggs, the man from England, was simply unplayable as he conceded just eight runs in his three-over spell.
In the three matches so far this season, the Scorchers have given up the game well before they were actually over. Even in this game, after doing well in the bowling department and then being 40-1 in four overs, the Scorchers just let it go, and that was the biggest mistake with no batsman hanging around or trying to build a partnership. From 40-1 to getting all out for 94 tells that the issue at hand is deeper and requires a transformative change to be dealt with.
Earlier in the day, Scorchers, after winning the toss, had sent Strikers in to bat first. The opening pair of Jake Weatherald and Phil Salt made good use of the short of length bowling by the Perth bowlers at the start. But soon, the introduction of Mitchell Marsh changed things a bit for the team. The all-rounder started bowling a bit fuller and thereby, forcing batsmen to commit mistakes.
As a result, he got the wicket of Weatherald. Inspired by him, the others too started bowling a little fuller then short of a length. From 57 for none, the Strikers were reduced to 95-4 and then to 110-5. It was at this moment that Rashid Khan, full of excitement after being announced the T20I Cricketer of the Decade, started teeing off with the bat, scoring a quickfire 13-ball 29 with the help of three sixes and one four, taking the team total past the 160-mark.
Phil Salt was the only other batsman that looked solid as the opener scored 51 off 31 balls. Khan was adjudged Man of the Match for his all-round effort.
A repeat of this encounter will be witnessed on 31st December where the Scorchers would like to get a win to get off the mark as well as to avenge this humiliating loss. Strikers, on the other hand, would be looking to consolidate their position in the top half of the table.
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