Adelaide Strikers bowlers put up a disciplined show to defend 152 and help their team beat Sydney Sixers by 48 runs to register their first win of this edition.
After being invited to bat first by Sixers skipper Moises Henriques, Strikers openers made a good start and added 37 runs for the first wicket before Jake Weatherald miscued a pull shot to short fine leg. Aiden Blizzard and Brad Hodge then added 54 runs from only 32 balls to take the hosts to a strong position. But three wickets inside two runs threatened to spoil the good start before Kieron Pollard’s quickfire 29 helped the Strikers post 152.
In reply, Jason Roy and Daniel Hughes made a fine start and added 34 runs for the first wicket. However, Roy’s dismissal opened the floodgates as the defending champions kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually all out for only 104. England batsman Sam Billings (40) was the only one to cross the 20-run mark while only two batsmen apart from Billings managed to cross the double-digit mark.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the match:
Yet another tremendous game in #BBL06, a below par score wins with some great bowling & fielding. @seanabbott77 fiver counts for nothing
— Colin Sanderson (@colinofstoney) December 31, 2016
Incredible effort with the ball tonight. Proved we could defend a lower total. ??
— Karissa (@thunder_67au) December 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/riotsatdawn/status/815162990693531649
Is @KieronPollard55 bound by a contract to react to the crowd everytime he takes a catch? #BIGBash2016
— Shubham Pandey (@the__spectator) December 31, 2016
5-16 by Sean Abbott is the 8th best figures in a losing T20 side@BBL #BBL06 @SixersBBL
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) December 31, 2016
Love cricket. Love @BBL. Love character. 365 days ago @seanabbott77 1/57 off 3.3…today 5/16 off 4! #hatsoff #BBL06
— Mel Jones (@meljones_33) December 31, 2016
Will Somerville cancelled a holiday for his wedding anniv. to play #BBL06 tonight for @SixersBBL .. good luck son! @tensporttv @BBL
— Matt de Groot (@mattdegroot_) December 31, 2016
The atmosphere at the @StrikersBBL looks epic tonight! Exactly what we need to try do in England, what a spectacle the #BBL06 is!
— Jonny Bairstow (@jbairstow21) December 31, 2016