Adelaide's bowlers had the highest economy rate of any team at their home ground in BBL|14
Strikers aiming to boost options for pressure moments
The Strikers will spend the off-season devising strategies to better defend at Adelaide Oval after falling short with the ball during multiple final over losses in KFC BBL|14.
With a powerful batting line up boasting big hitters such as captain Matt Short, Chris Lynn and Jamie Overton, and supported by stroke makers Alex Ross and England Test batter Ollie Pope, the Strikers were the highest scoring team by more than 100 runs during the regular season.
Short, Lynn, Overton, Alex Carey, James Bazley and young gun Liam Scott all scored their runs quicker than 150 per 100 balls in BBL|14 as they passed 180 five times, with two of those 200-plus totals.
But it was their inability to defend those totals or restrict their opponents when bowling first that saw the Strikers men record just three wins for the season to finish last for the first time in the competition's history.
While Adelaide Oval is renowned as a high-scoring venue, the Strikers' bowlers had the highest economy rate (8.98 runs per over) of any team at their home ground in BBL|14.
They still scored heavily themselves at Adelaide Oval, with a run rate of 9.43 across the season – boosted by posting the BBL's second highest total of all-time with their 5-251 against Brisbane Heat – but their struggles with the ball led to only two wins at home in BBL|14, their fewest since BBL|06.
Away from home it was a similar story – while their bowlers' combined economy rate was slightly better at 8.62 per over, their percentage of runs conceded from boundaries (61.8 per cent) was the highest of all teams on the road.
Only seamer Brendan Doggett – who they've since lost to Melbourne Renegades for next season – and part-time spinner D'Arcy Short conceded less than 8.4 runs per over – highlighting the difficulty skipper Matt Short and stand-in Ross faced trying to stem the runs, losing three games after posting a score greater than 180.
Simon Insley, Strikers general manager of cricket, said they wanted to be the best planned team next season to provide their leadership group with a variety of options they could turn to when under the pump in BBL|15.
"Ultimately, we had a batting group that consistently got to 180 and then we fell short with the ball a few times in a couple of close games," he said.
"Adelaide Oval is a very tough place to bowl if you speak to anyone in the competition, and there's probably a bit of a focus of how do we support our bowling group even more going into next season.
"We just need to have a lot more what if situations.
"Rather than having a plan A and B, it's a little bit more, 'what does plan C, D and E look like?'
"There's enough time throughout the season to make sure that we're the best planned team in the competition … and that's something we can control going into next season."
Following their barnstorming finish the previous season where they won four straight games to qualify for finals, the Strikers again structured their bowling attack around their leg-spin duo of Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce to start BBL|14.
But that line up also somewhat dictated their game plan to their opponents, with Insley indicating finding a method to tactically support their spinners while "keeping the opposition guessing" had formed part of the club's post-season review.
Daniel Sams' 30-run blitz facing Pope in the 19th over of their season opener, which helped Sydney Thunder sneak home in the final over after the Strikers were in a strong position, emphasised the need for flexibility within their bowling attack.
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West Indies left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Fabian Allen also went down with a season-ending hamstring injury in that match, delivering another setback to their spin-heavy strategy.
Pope was Adelaide's leading bowler in BBL|14 but his 15 wickets cost him more than nine runs per over, while Boyce's five wickets in his seven appearances came at an economy rate of 8.4 – almost one-and-a-half runs more than the previous season, highlighting their opponents concerted effort to go after the Strikers' spin pairing.
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"Certainly, earlier in the season, (the opposition) targeted the leg-spin and we got lots of wickets, but then in a couple of games the batters got on top," Insley said.
"There was a lot of positivity following last year's campaign with the formula of spin being heavy.
"And we started off with Boyce, Pope and Fabian Allen against the Thunder … to lose that game was a real shame because it put the spin plan under a lot of pressure.
"For it to come unstuck in one over in the first game when we were in a really strong position was something we had to navigate through on what was the best way to win T20 matches.
"Then rather than completely backing the spin … or moving away to go the extra seamer, with Fabian Allen's injury, it meant that we didn't stick or twist and got caught in the middle probably."
Insley pointed to the success of allrounders D'Arcy Short, who provided their best return of the campaign with his 4-15 in their high-scoring win over the Heat, and the off-spin of Matt Short in the second half of the season as bowlers they could call on more regularly to give their attack a point of difference.
D'Arcy Short (one over) was one of just four Strikers bowlers used during the Power Surge in BBL|14, and Insley said they would look to the overseas player market to reinforce their death bowling options.
"That's something we need to support our list to give us a few more options in the key moments and in the Power Surge, like who are we throwing the ball to and having a few options rather than just relying on one or two bowlers," Insley said.