Siddle, Weatherald lead Strikers' revenge

The match in a tweet: Ageless Siddle spearheads Strikers’ first win of #BBL10 as Carey, Weatherald produce match-winning stand after early wobble

The score: Hobart Hurricanes 146 (McDermott 46, Ingram 46; Siddle 5-16) lost to Adelaide Strikers 5-147 (Weatherald 68no, Carey 55; Faulkner 2-35) by five wickets with eight balls remaining.

The hero: Peter Siddle’s shades attracted all the attention in the the Strikers’ opening match of this season’s KFC BBL, but the evergreen paceman showed he remains a major threat with ball in hand with a career-best T20 haul as his team took on the Hurricanes for a second time in three days. Siddle collected 5-16 from 3.3 immaculate overs – the first time he has grabbed five wickets in a BBL match – to halt the Hurricanes’ momentum, while he also sent down 12 dot balls. After a top-order collapse, Hobart appeared headed for a healthy score before Siddle and Wes Agar (2-28), Dan Worrall (1-21) and star spinner Rashid Khan (1-27) made scoring difficult on a pitch which favoured the fast bowlers. The Hurricanes lost 7-51 in the last 47 balls of their innings on the back of Siddle’s sharp bowling, with the 36-year-old taking four wickets from his final nine balls.

The supporting cast: Skipper Alex Carey returned to the Strikers’ line-up after leading Australia A in a tour match against India and his experience was desperately needed after the club’s batsmen misfired in their season-opening defeat to the Canes. The wicketkeeper-batsman showed his class with a fine knock of 55 from 40 balls at No.4 as he combined for a match-winning 107-run stand with opener Jake Weatherald (68 not out from 48), who was also a picture of class and concentration after Adelaide lost two wickets in the first over of their innings, clearing the boundary on four occasions. Carey and Weatherald were once a formidable duo at the top of the order, but the need for Carey to fill a middle-order role at international level has resulted in a move down the order. 

The consolation acts: Ben McDermott continued his impressive form after hitting a century for Australia A on Sunday, finishing with 46 from 33 balls highlighted by three sixes. One of the maximums landed on the roof in Launceston as McDermott helped rebuild the innings alongside new BKT Golden Cap owner Colin Ingram (who hit 46 from 35 to go past Josh Philippe as the BBL's leading run scorer this season), with the pair putting on 75 for the fourth wicket after the Hurricanes were 3-20 after the first powerplay.

The subs: One of three new rules introduced into the BBL, the 'X-factor' substitute was used by both teams on a history-making evening after all teams stuck with their original XIs through the opening seven matches of the tournament. Spinners Danny Briggs (Strikers) and Johan Botha (Hurricanes) were taken out of the game at the 10-over mark when the seam-friendly conditions became evident. They were replaced by Matthew Short and Mac Wright respectively. Briggs had sent down one over and was smashed for 15, while Botha had no involvement in the game when he was subbed out.

The stat: Siddle returned the fifth best figures in BBL history, becoming the 15th player to achieve a five-wicket haul. Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga sits top of the list after claiming 6-7 for Melbourne Stars in 2012.

The catch: It was a milestone match for Weatherald, who made his 50th BBL appearance. He wasted no time making an impact in the field, removing Hurricanes import Will Jacks with this diving catch at backward point in the first over of the match.

The openers: For the second time in three games, Hobart openers Jacks and D’Arcy Short were both dismissed for single figures. The pair made ducks in the opening match of BBL|10 against Sydney Sixers, while Jacks again failed to trouble the scorers tonight as Short contributed just two. In between, they put on a 63-run stand against Adelaide on Sunday. They look a formidable pairing on paper and despite the issues at the top, the ‘Canes still have two wins from three games.

The next stop: Both teams will have morning fixtures (starting at 11.10am) this weekend at Blundstone Arena, with the Hurricanes facing Melbourne Renegades on Saturday and the Strikers meeting Sydney Sixers on Sunday.

Hobart Hurricanes XI: D'Arcy Short, Will Jacks, Colin Ingram, Ben McDermott (wk), Peter Handscomb (c), Tim David, James Faulkner, Johan Botha, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Riley Meredith

Adelaide Strikers XI: Jake Weatherald, Phil Salt, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey (c/wk), Jonathan Wells, Ryan Gibson, Rashid Khan, Daniel Worrall, Danny Briggs, Peter Siddle, Wes Agar