Strikers eye top spot amid Scorchers' injury worries

Adelaide Strikers have a golden opportunity to cement top spot and the direct path to the Weber WBBL|09 final when they meet the Perth Scorchers in tonight's mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash.

The defending champions are two points clear of their western rivals and have a game in hand, meaning a win on Friday will be enough to lock in the final at Adelaide Oval on December 2.

The Scorchers will go into that game without England star Amy Jones, who was sent for scans after injuring her right calf following their defeat to the Stars on Wednesday.

Perth have an international replacement waiting in the wings in Lauren Winfield-Hill, who remained with the team after the mid-season arrival of Natalie Sciver-Brunt.

But it will leave the Scorchers with a big call to make whether to stick with Sophie Devine at the top of the order alongside Beth Mooney or return to the Winfield-Hill/Mooney opening combination from earlier in the season.

The Strikers go in with a full-strength squad and safe in the knowledge that even if they lose, they will have a second chance to secure the massive advantage that comes with finishing first when they play the Hurricanes on Sunday.

But leg-spinner Anesu Mushangwe said the defending champions were determined to lock it in as quickly as possible.

"This will be my first time playing at Adelaide Oval, it's an exciting moment," Mushangwe told The Scoop podcast.

"Everyone is excited and it's a big game because a win would secure the top spot and beating one of the best teams would be another great thing to do as well.

"It's something that will be good for us mentally as well, (because) then we would just have to maintain that momentum straight to the grand final.

"But (if it happens) we just need to keep ourselves still mentally ready and physically ready for the grand final and not to be complacent, because there'll be a little bit of a break if we get that top spot."

There is rain forecast for Adelaide on Friday, and a washout would also be enough to secure the home final for the Strikers.

The teams are playing for the Faith Thomas Trophy for the first time since the trailblazing Aunty Faith passed away earlier this year.

The Scorchers meanwhile need to regain momentum after back-to-back defeats.

They were humbled by the Thunder in Sydney last weekend, beaten by nine wickets with 23 balls to spare, then fell 33 runs short against the Melbourne Stars on Wednesday evening.

"(The Strikers are) a really good side ... this competition shows anyone can beat anyone on their day so we're going to have to be on top of our game," Scorchers quick Piepa Cleary said at Perth Airport on Thursday.

"Cricket's a funny game and it changes really quickly.

"To lose two in a row isn't ideal but at the end of the day you don't become a bad team overnight so we'll go back to our processes and fingers crossed we can get the win on Friday."

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