The Perth Scorchers were in early trouble in their Boxing Day clash with top of the table Adelaide Strikers, before skipper Ashton Turner came to the crease.
Turner has showed plenty of fight, especially against Adelaide star Rashid Khan, but remains the key to the Scorchers’ chances late in the second of the BBL Boxing Day double header.
After both openers fell cheaply and Nick Hobson joined them in the dug out, Perth lost regular wickets in a tight chase of 134.
Faf du Plessis had smashed Matt Short for six and then fell the very next ball, while Adam Lyth became Henry Thornton’s latest victim after just four balls.
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From 3-17, Josh Inglis showed plenty in his demolition of Thornton, smashing 18 off four balls. But he “gave it away” when he chipped a catch back to debutant Ben Manenti in a disappointing result for the Scorchers.
“That’s Christmas. I know it’s Boxing Day… but hats off to Peter Siddle. That’s the right bowling change,” Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee said.
“That’s as soft a dismissal as you’ll see,” commentator Glenn Maxwell added.
Aaron Hardie couldn’t hang around to support Turner, but Jhye Richardson was up to the task as he kept the strike ticking over.
Needing a run a ball for the last seven overs, Perth saw off Khan before leaving themselves 24 off 16.
Earlier a “frustrated” Adelaide star recruit Chris Lynn was caught well-short in the moment that turned the Strikers’ innings.
Lynn had been primed to go big in the second match of the Boxing Day double header as wickets fell around him.
But his promise turned to disaster in the 12th over when big Jason Behrendorff nailed the stumps with one to aim at.
“I thought it was a big call by Behrendorff to underarm, but underarm does the job,” Fox Cricket’s commentator Glenn Maxwell said.
“It looked like he was just building for something. The Scorchers are in the box seat right now.
“Dead eye, one stump to aim at. The old boy got going but wasn’t quick enough.”
Fox Cricket’s Brett Lee said it was a “frustrating” moment for both Lynn and the Strikers, who just couldn’t find a way to lift the run rate in Perth.
“He was just building, he was in. He was about to play some catch up cricket.”
Lynn’s wicket saw the Strikers sink to 3-63 with eight overs to go.
Adelaide coach Jason Gillespie admitted the Strikers couldn’t get going- as it took the visitors 16 overs to reach triple figures.
“The Scorchers have bowled really well,” he told Fox Cricket.
“We just have to take our medicine so to speak.”
Jason Behrendorff copped some punishment in the 17th over, coughing up 16 runs – and the first six of the innings – but AJ Tye struck the very next over.
First to remove Thomas Kelly for 18, and then three balls later he snared Colin de Grandhomme for 19.
“They are just fumbling again the Strikers,” Lee said.
“Another batter gets a start and gets out,” Maxwell added.
“The Scorchers have done a brilliant job at holding them back.”
The Scorchers were off to a great start in the battle of the in-form Big Bash teams, with Jhye Richardson achieving a “rare” feat by bowling a maiden over.
Remarkably it’s the fifth time the star Scorcher has achieved the feat in the BBL, and he’s now an equal record holder for maiden overs bowled in the competition.
He joins Kane Richardson at the top of the competition table, and moves ahead of retired Scorcher Mitchell Johnson (four) as the best Perth bowler in BBL history.
After Jason Behrendorff grabbed the first wicket of Henry Hunt for a golden duck, Richardson kept the pressure up in the second over, as the Strikers scored just one run from the opening 12 balls.
Matt Short fell for 16 off 26 as he tried to lift the run rate, as at the halfway mark of their innings, the Strikers were 2-55.
The Scorchers are hoping to extend their home winning streak to five as they take on the Strikers in the second BBL game of the double header on Monday night.
The Strikers won the toss and elected to bat first, making two changes to the team that was beaten by the Brisbane Heat.
Jake Weatherald misses out with an abdominal strain and is replaced by Henry Hunt, while Ben Manenti has been handed his Strikers debut, coming in for Wes Agar.
The decision not to play Agar means he won’t come face-to-face with brother Ashton, who plays for the Scorchers.
Perth go into Monday night’s clash unchanged from the side that beat the Stars by 61 runs.
TEAMS
Scorchers: Adam Lyth, Faf du Plessis, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Turner (c), Aaron Hardie, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou
Strikers: Henry Hunt, Matt Short, Chris Lynn, Adam Hose, Colin de Grandhomme, Thomas Kelly, Harry Nielsen (wk), Rashid Khan, Ben Manenti, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle (c)
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