BBL 2022-23: Twitter runs amok after Strikers bundle Thunder for record lowest senior T20 total
BBL 2022-23: Adelaide Strikers bamboozled past Sydney Thunder by 124 runs, as the latter was bundled out for just 15 within six overs. It is the lowest senior T20 total, as Twitter ran wild.
FollowMatch 5 of the 2022-23 Big Bash League (BBL) will be remembered. As former champion Sydney Thunder hosted fellow former champion Adelaide Strikers at the Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday, hardly anyone expected the game to be so one-sided. Opting to bat first, the visitors posted a below-par total of 139/9, with Chris Lynn (36) being the top scorer, while pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi clutched three wickets. What seemed to be an easy chase for the hosts turned out to be a nightmare, as they were bundled out for just 15 within the sixth over of the PowerPlay (PP) to hand a 124-run win to the Strikers.
While Matthew Gilkes (0) was the man to fall in the opening over to off-spinner Matthew Short, the second over saw Rilee Rossouw (3) and Jason Sangha (0) depart in the second to pacer Henry Thornton. In the third, Alex Hales (0) and Daniel Sams (3) were sent packing by pacer Wes Agar, Alex Ross (2) was dismissed by Thornton in the fourth, while Chris Green (0) and Gurinder Sandhu (0) fell to Agar in the fifth.
ALSO READ:Â BAN VS IND 2022-23, 1ST TEST: GILL, PUJARA SMASH CENTURIES, INDIA LEADS BY 472 ON DAY 2, FANS DELIGHTED
In the sixth, Oliver Davies (1) and Brendan Doggett (4) were the final men to depart to Thornton, as all it took was 35 balls for the Striker to emerge victorious in the most unorthodox fashion. The previous lowest T20 total was 21 by Turkey against the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Thornton was adjudged the Man of the Match for his fifer, who was at a loss for words.
"Have no clue what's going on. It's amazing. We thought they [Thunder] bowled well, considering what the wicket was doing, but we hung in there long enough. I haven't seen anything similar to this ever. Unbelievable stuff, to be honest. We just thought that if we could bowl on top of the stumps, we were clear on what we have to execute," Thornton said after the success.
ALSO READ:Â BAN vs IND 2022-23, 1st Test - My approach was to bowl consistently at one spot, says Siraj
"We got a lot of nick-offs, and Short took one of the best catches at first slip. Happy for Wes Agar. He bowled well. He was super disciplined, great performance by him. Pretty unique [bowling with three slips]. I couldn't believe it. Lynn was like if you want two or three slips, it was quite amazing. To have guys like Lynn next to you, it's amazing. I couldn't believe it. Thought 150 would be good, but [139] turned out to be enough," concluded Thornton.
