“Stand the seam up and it will do things. Just hit the wicket hard and hit a good length”.
That was the advice veteran T20 star Chris Lynn gave to Strikers duo Wes Agar and Henry Thornton as they prepared to defend a modest total of 139 in a clash with the Sydney Thunder last December.
What happened next will go down in cricketing folklore as one of the most stunning bowling performances the world has ever seen.
It took 5.5 overs for Adelaide to bowl out the Thunder for only 15 on home soil at the Sydney Showground Stadium.
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As the Strikers gear up for the start of their BBL13 campaign — beginning against the Brisbane Heat on Saturday night (7.15pm AEDT) — Agar reflected on one of the most remarkable performances in the competition’s history.
Thornton took figures of 5-3 while Agar also took 4-6 to secure a 124-run victory in an “absolutely surreal moment” that defied cricketing logic.
“I think it’s one of those moments, when you see like the Michael Jordan documentary or the docos of these great sportsmen,” Agar said to foxsports.com.au.
“When they ask them what they are thinking or what were you feeling and they can’t really remember because they were so in the moment.
“I think it was one of those moments, you’re in it and you aren’t thinking too much but you’re thinking so clearly at the same time.
“You are thinking where you just want to put the ball and then things will happen and it’s the first time in my career where I’ve thought ‘I want to get this guy out this way’ and then it happens the next ball.
“It happened a few times for us as players, and it was very surreal but a very good time.”
To start the stunning collapse, Thunder opener Matt Gilkes slapped a ball seemingly through point off Matt Short before Englishmen Adam Hose reeled in a stunning catch.
Then the Strikers’ pair of quicks morphed into prime Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson to take the next nine wickets, with Short’s catch to dismiss Rilee Rossouw becoming an instant classic.
“To get a team out like that you need some freakish stuff and that catch ended up being one of the top catches of the summer,” Agar said.
“It was a matter of everything sticking for us, but if you spoke to the Thunder, they just knicked everything.
“There’s a lot of times in cricket where you play and miss, or a knick goes through or you get a thick edge but they just fine-edged everything. It was a matter of luck I think.”
Agar revealed Lynn, who has scored the most runs in the history of the BBL, had a simple message for his troops going out to bowl.
“At the time we were quite nervous, we knew the wicket wasn’t great but 140 in T20 cricket, if someone gets off to a good start you are probably not in a good spot,” Agar said.
“Chris Lynn said to us, and credit to him, he said ‘stand the seam up and it will do things. Just hit the wicket hard and hit a good length’.
“Luckily it all came off.”
Springboarding off a strong BBL campaign where he took 18 wickets, Agar has been dangerous so far in the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield competition.
A back injury kept him sidelined for a short period, but in his four games the gun quick has taken 20 wickets at only 19.7 to sit in eighth on the overall leaderboard.
Strikers vs. Thunder: Match highlights | 06:46
Agar is hoping his strong Shield performances can now translate into the BBL, with the Strikers hoping to return to the finals.
“It’s been a bit of a mixed bag, I’ve been injured and I’ve been in and out but I’m lucky I’ve been able to find some form so hopefully I can take that into the Big Bash,” Agar said.
“It’s just experience and confidence in my game, I’m in a good place knowing where I’m at in my bowling.
“I’m not trying to find anything or change anything else, so I think the consistency in that has helped me be able to perform.”
Like his brother Ashton, Wes Agar has already represented his country, playing two ODI games in 2021 against the West Indies.
The bustling quick once again has more Australian representation in his sights and could be a left-field selection for the 2024 World Cup squad.
“It’s always the goal, if I wasn’t trying to play for Australia I wouldn’t be playing cricket, it’s always the goal to play at the highest level,” Agar said.
“To get a taste of it makes me even more hungry, I just know that I need to perform consistently and then bide my time.”