Adelaide Strikers beat Melbourne Renegades by 27 runs despite Chris Gayle’s record fifty in 12 balls. Sydney Thunder now progress to the last four at the Renegades expense. It will be the Thunder’s first last-four appearance.
The Renegades’ target to win the match was 171, but to progress to the semi-finals they had to get their in 15.5 overs or less. The carrot was a repeat of this fixture at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. After the Renegades were all out for 143 it is Sydney Thunder who will now travel to Adelaide.
Many think that Chris Gayle will not be invited back for BBL06 after his sexism row overshadowed the early stages of the competition. If it was his goodbye, he went out in style with a scintillating fifty from 12 balls to equal Yuvraj Singh’s record for the fastest fifty in T20 history. It was Gayle’s only half century of a disappointing competition for the Caribbean hitter. He ends BBL05 on a high, but with an average of 33.50.
Today Gayle’s innings to fifty went 206666266416. It would have been unreasonable to expect more from him today, but the Renegades could have used more of his fireworks earlier in the competition.
If Gayle had continued there would have been no doubt that Renegades would have triumphed, but it wasn’t to be. He was caughted behind by Tim Ludeman off Travis Head after hitting seven of the 17 balls he faced for six and two more to the boundary.
Gayle’s opening partner had fallen to the first ball of the second over, caught behind off Michael Neser, after the West Indian had taken 26 from Greg West’s opening over. Cameron White and Dwayne Bravo fell to successive deliveries from Head and when Gayle top-edged Head behind in the 6th over the Renegades were 74 for four and the main men had gone.
Peter Nevill (21 off 19) kept the innings afloat before being run out and only a brief flurry from Nathan Rimmington (26 off 19) and Cameron Gannon (23 off 15) got the Renegades close.
The Strikers have been the best team in the competition and top the group ladder and go into the last four with hopes high. Their 170 was a little less than they would have wanted after being 82 for no loss after 10 overs. Jono Dean hit 2 fours and 4 sixes in his 48 from 35 balls as he added 85 with opening partner Ludeman (49 from 41). Dean top-edged a Bravo slower ball, Head fell in the bext over and Xavier Doherty accounted for Alex Ross and Ludeman.
Brad Hodge and Jade Lehmann’s rapid partnership of 45 catapulted the Strikers to their final total.
Whether the Strikers would have prevailed if the Renegades were able to utilise the full 20 overs for the chase will never be known. In truth, their hopes rested with Gayle and as soon as he departed the Sydney Thunder were able to pack for Adelaide.
FINAL BBL05 TABLE
| TEAMS | MAT | WON | LOST | TIED | N/R | PTS | NET RR | FOR | AGAINST |
| Adelaide Strikers | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | +0.544 | 1307/157.2 | 1215/156.3 |
| Melbourne Stars | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +0.366 | 1211/150.5 | 1226/160.0 |
| Perth Scorchers | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +0.181 | 1134/148.2 | 1188/159.1 |
| Sydney Thunder | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.375 | 1315/156.3 | 1275/158.5 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.041 | 1305/152.5 | 1327/154.4 |
| Brisbane Heat | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.204 | 1354/159.3 | 1333/153.2 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.955 | 1211/160.0 | 1270/149.0 |
| Sydney Sixers | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.330 | 1221/158.5 | 1224/152.4 |
James Buttler
As the editor of Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author and a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications.
He's unsurprisingly a complete cricket badger!
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