Strikers tame Thunder to as BBL race heats up
Adelaide Strikers have joined a logjam at the top of the Big Bash League (BBL) ladder with a 25-run win over Sydney Thunder in Homebush.
The Strikers' Afghanistan international Rashid Khan took two wickets for the fifth straight match to underline his status as one of the most influential new imports in this season's tournament.
A late-innings onslaught from Khan (16 off 6) and South African Colin Ingram (48 off 31) boosted the Strikers to 7-158 after the visitors pummelled 44 off the final three overs.
The Thunder's lack of batting depth and power hitting was exposed as they could muster just 9-133.
Adelaide added to the congestion at the top of the ladder, where the Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers have all banked eight points.
The Thunder suffered a fourth loss in six matches and on Sunday's performance look unlikely to mount a finals charge.
Veteran Ben Rohrer (29 off 13) clobbered 23 off the 18th over bowled by Ben Laughlin, but it was not enough against a disciplined Strikers attack.
Leg spinner Khan (2-21) has emerged as one of the excitement packages of the BBL and the 19-year-old wove some more bowling magic.
He bowled in-form English opener Jos Buttler (21 off 21) and helped slow the home side's chase down to a crawl after they made a decent start.
But start was the key word for the Thunder, with their other key top order batsmen Kurtis Patterson (29 off 36) and Shane Watson (14 off 16) unable to collar a disciplined Strikers attack.
After hitting six fours and a six their powerplay overs, the Thunder could muster just two boundaries in the next 10 prior to Rohrer's late cameo.
Coming off a rapid-fire 66 in his last game, South African Ingram belted four sixes and two fours.
Ingram survived a couple of strong lbw appeals, but gave their Innings some much-needed momentum after Alex Carey (34 off 28) was the only Striker to get going in the first 10 overs.
Spinners Fawad Ahmed (3-31) and Chris Green (1-22) were the Thunder's most effective bowlers.
The Strikes had already beaten the Thunder by 53 runs earlier in the competition and moved four points clear of the Sydney team.
AAP
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ABC .net
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