Matt Short stars as Adelaide Strikers make BBL history with thrilling seven-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes

Matt Short has celebrated his captaincy debut with a breathtaking century to help the Adelaide Strikers pull off the greatest run chase in BBL history.

After the Hobart Hurricanes posted an imposing 4-229 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, Short crunched Pakistan paceman Faheem Ashraf for back-to-back boundaries in the 20th over to raise his century and victory by seven wickets with three balls to spare.

With regular skipper Peter Siddle sidelined (back injury), Short celebrated his temporary elevation to the captaincy role by crunching 100 not out off 59 deliveries.

Scratchy early, Short received two lives off Riley Meredith’s bowling when he was dropped by Mitch Owen and Nathan Ellis before making the Hurricanes pay.

After the early departure of Ryan Gibson (5), Short and Chris Lynn (64) added 124 off 58 balls for the second wicket to turn the Strikers’ dream into a reality.

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Lynn smashed four sixes in his whirlwind 29-ball knock before falling to the impressive mystery spinner Paddy Dooley (2-25) during the power surge.

On 20, English import Adam Hose holed out to Tim David at mid-on but was reprieved when third umpire Eloise Sheridean deemed Faheem’s full-toss above waist-height.

Hose duly belted the free hit for six, one of three maximums he whacked in Faheem’s over, which reaped 22.

Hose eventually fell for 38 before an even higher full toss from the struggling Faheem in the 20th over conceded another free hit, allowing Short to pounce.

Dooley suffered a nasty injury to his left shoulder while diving to save a boundary in the 19th over, compounding the pain for the Hurricanes who looked in an impregnable position at the halfway mark.

Half-centuries to Ben McDermott (57), Caleb Jewell (54) and Zak Crawley (54 not out) underpinned the Hurricanes’ franchise record score.

The visitors hit 14 sixes in their innings and appeared on track to make it two wins over the Strikers in five days — while consigning their opponents to a fourth successive defeat — before Short stole the show.

AAP

Posted 13h ago13 hours agoThu 5 Jan 2023 at 12:09pm