After three straight years as wooden spooners, Melbourne Renegades have sealed a spot back in the BBL finals
Match Report:
ScorecardFinch guides ‘Gades back into finals, ends Strikers’ season
Aaron Finch has steered the Melbourne Renegades to a six-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers, booking the club’s first KFC BBL finals appearance in four years.
Finch, who celebrated his 100th BBL match in the Renegades previous game, survived some early scares – including a ball hitting his stumps but failing to dislodge the bails – to hit an unbeaten 63 and guide the Renegades home with 10 balls to spare at Marvel Stadium.
Australia's T20 captain notched his fourth fifty of the tournament and 26th in the BBL and was joined at the crease by Jon Wells (20no) to finish off the match.
Finch stayed calm as wickets fell around him, including those of experienced stars Martin Guptill and Shaun Marsh, as he built his innings before powering the Renegades in the final 10 overs.
Even on a tricky pitch, the Strikers' 7-142 never looked seriously defendable as Adelaide's faint finals hopes ended with their ninth defeat of the tournament.
After winning their first title in 2019, the Renegades have endured three tough seasons before putting in a much-improved campaign in BBL|12.
They will now have a home final after taking care of the Strikers to snap a two-game losing run and will either finish third or fourth depending on Wednesday's results.
A Heat victory over the Hurricanes in Launceston would see them move above the Renegades into third, but they will stay above the Thunder regardless of the result in their clash with the Stars with the net-run-rate difference too much of a gap to make up.
Earlier, Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey impressed in tough conditions with an outstanding 65 from 47 balls, but all other Strikers batters found it difficult after Finch opted to bowl first.
Travis Head, who has become one of Test cricket's most explosive middle-order players, struggled to 19 from 32 balls.
Adelaide stumbled to 1-25 after the first powerplay and were unable to build any momentum as veteran spinner Fawad Ahmed caused trouble to claim figures of 3-17.