Struggling Scorchers take on high-flying Strikers in rematch

Akshay Saraswat


Two days ago, Adelaide Strikers emerged victorious over Perth Scorchers at the home ground of the former. The two sides will renew their rivalry tomorrow at the same ground. This is a must-win game for the Perth side as their season so far has been miserable. Three losses and one no-result in four games mean they are still winless. 

Adelaide, on the other hand, are improving with every game. Their captain Peter Siddle is leading from the front with good performances while their talisman Rashid Khan has once again established his supremacy in this format. 

Strikers are the favourites, but this is cricket, T20 at that, so anything can happen. 

Scorchers Looking Clueless

Nothing has gone right for the Scorchers so far in this season. Their batsmen haven't got going while the bowlers, despite enough potential, haven't been able to create enough troubles for the opposition batsmen. 

Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Turner have shown glimpses of their big-hitting prowess. But that has to come after a strong base has been created by the top order. This is where the Perth-based side has been lagging behind. 

Colin Munro is a great striker of the cricket ball. However, he is known more for playing cameos than big innings. But even a cameo of 30 or 40 can set the Scorchers on their way to a big score. That strong punch has been missing. 

The team would have big hopes from Jason Roy. He has joined the team recently and his batting at the top could be the difference maker for the beleagured side. 

The bowling unit looks strong on paper but the key component in it - leg spinner Fawad Ahmed - hasn't been getting enough wickets. In this season of Big Bash League, leggies have been making a big mark. If Fawad doesn't lead the way, Perth would have a handicap. 

Rest of the bowlers, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, and Jhye Richardson are capable. If they have a good total to defend, they can be very effective. 

Strikers Find Their Stride

Adelaide have found a great leader in Peter Siddle. A veteran with many years of experience, he has another string to his bow season by, seemingly, mastering the yorker. This skill seems to have brushed off on Wes Agar as well. 

But their trump card is Rashid Khan, and he is in full form. He won the Man of the Match award in the last game, against the same opposition he will be facing tomorrow. But in a bonus for the team, he is not the only spinner in the team making an impact. 

Danny Briggs has come up with great performances also. While Rashid has a bagful of tricks to fox the batsman with, Briggs relies on a tight line and lack of spin to get wickets. With these two taking wickets, Strikers are in a good space. 

Regarding their batting, there is great scope for improvement. Opener Phil Salt has been looking good but the middle order needs to contribute more. The likes of Matt Renshwaw, Jonathan Wells, and Matthew Short have been disappointing. That's a weak spot in Strikers's armour. 

Scorchers vs Strikers: Match Details

Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Date and Time: December 31, 1:45 PM IST, 7:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT

Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

Pitch Report

Adelaide usually has a flat pitch which helps spinners. This seems to be the case this time as well since spinners did get help in the first match of this season played at the Adelaide Oval. More of such conditions can be expected for the upcoming game. 

Weather and Toss

Weather on new year's eve will be perfect. No rain is expected and temperatures in the evening will hover around 20 degrees. Weather will not be a factor in the toss-winning captain's decision.

Probable XIs

Scorchers: Josh Inglis (Wk), Jason Roy, Colin Munro, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner (C), Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed

Strikers: Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey (C, Wk), Matt Renshaw, Jonathan Wells, Matthew Short, Rashid Khan, Daniel Worrall, Danny Briggs, Wes Agar, Peter Siddle

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NZ vs PAK | 1st Test: Blackcaps get better of defiant Pakistan's lower order batsmen

New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 101 runs in the first Test of the series at Mount Maunganui and surged to the top of the ICC Test Rankings for the first time in their history of Test cricket. There were multiple heroic performances from either side, but New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was adjudged Man of the Match for his resilient 129 in the first innings that set the platform for the hosts’ dominance over the touring Pakistan side for most of the game. Pakistan were given a target of 373 runs to chase in the final innings of the Test, and they put up a valiant effort to take the game into the final session on the back of excellent rearguard action from stand-in captain Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam. The tourists were in trouble after the top order was sent back to the pavilion very early, and when Azhar Ali got nicked off to BJ Watling off Trent Boult after a defiant innings 120-ball-38, the hosts were smelling a victory. But, the Blackcaps had to bowl with excellent control and patience to take the next wicket as both Fawad Alam and Rizwan decided to dig in and to throw their wickets away. The duo batted with impeccable patience and the partnership lasted more than 60 overs in terms of resistance and 125 runs in terms of runs as Fawad Alam completed a magnificent century to prove his batting credentials are not limited to first-class cricket and that he belongs to this level and can score runs giants top bowling attack as well. The Blackcaps were pushed to the edge and they had their task cut out to take six wickets in the final session. The old-aged saying of cricket that one wicket brings two, unfortunately, proved to be true for the tourists. Kyle Jamieson trapped Rizwan in front of the stumps and only three overs later, Wagner found the glove of Fawad Alam’s en route to BJ Watling. Three more wickets fell in quick succession as the Blackcaps went for the kill albeit with a spinner in Mitchell Santner and also Wagner who was heroically bowling with broken toes. The left-arm spinner repaid the faith and got rid of Mohammad Abbas with a one that kept going on with the arm after Wagner found the outside edge of Faheem Ashraf, who was the highest run-scorer for the tourists in the first innings. The last pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was stuck on the had by Wagner took Pakistan very close to saving the game in what could be termed as one of the best rearguard actions seen in the recent past, but it wasn’t to be as Santner was smarter of the three that mattered for ether side and he caught Naseem Shah off his own bowling to win Blackcaps the game and kept the side in the hunt for the World Test Championship Final to be played at Lord’s. Although Pakistan lost the match they came so close of saving, they would take the heart out of the grit and determination the lower order batsman shown on a tough pitch against a very potent bowling line up that had a quartet of Boult, Southee, Jamieson and Wagner along with the left-arm spinner Santner and the stand-in skipper Rizwan accepted it as the beauty of Test cricket where teams work hard to beat each other playing at their best. He also rued soft dismissals and the collapse in the first innings, while heaping praise on Kane Williamson whose calmness and solidity with the bat steered New Zealand to a total that was enough to test Pakistan’s resolve in the first Test. Neil Wagner who kept on bowling with broken toes got the special mention from Rizwan, who believes Pakistan are still in the game even after a narrow loss in Mount Maunganui. "Not too disappointed. This is the beauty of Test cricket. As a human being, I believe Almighty Allah gives us rewards for the hard work. New Zealand worked harder than us, and that's why the result was with their team. After the toss, our decision was good, but fielding well is most important when you want to take early wickets. We collapsed in the field and gave away a few too many catches, but Williamson played really well. Yes, the declaration was a good one, but they took early wickets. Again today we wanted to go for the target, but they took early wickets. They have done really well in Test cricket. I must give special credit to Neil Wagner, for bowling with a fractured toe. We lost this match, but we are still in the series. We played very well in this match, and we need some improvement in our bowling,” Rizwan said in the post-match presentation. On the other hand, the winning skipper Williamson once again shrugged off the question of playing the WTC Final at the Lord’s and said that his side believes in staying in the present. 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