Superb Strikers toast of Adelaide with first Big Bash crown

Alex Broun 19:58 04/02/2018
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  • They’ll be celebrating long and loud in Hindley Steet as the Adelaide Strikers claimed their maiden BBL title.

    And it was nothing more than they deserved after a superb performance in a high scoring final at Adelaide Oval, coming out on top by 25 runs.

    “Unbelievable – that’s amazing. Far out. It’s pretty special,” beamed an emotional Travis Head immediately after the match.

    “There were questions over the squad, we got in a lot different guys – they were exceptional, unbelievable. They all backed each other.”

    Travis Head shows off the spoils.

    Travis Head shows off the spoils.

    Head had special praise for his under-rated bowling attack, minus any big names but never failing to produce.

    “They (the bowlers) all had different skills,” continued Head. “It was easy to use them throughout – each one brought a different unique style which has worked a treat.”

    “I couldn’t fault the bowlers. The bowlers were unbelievable – the batters probably started (the season) a bit slowly, gave us opportunities to win games and that’s all you can ask for.

    “And then (Jake Weatherald), we ask for matchwinners, that’s one of the unbelievable knocks.”

    Weatherald came into Sunday’s contest in scintillating form, having hit three half-centuries in his previous four knocks, but he later admitted he wasn’t feeling it as he walked out to bat.

    “To be honest, I felt completely off today walking out there,” he said.

    “I felt out of sorts compared to my last couple of innings.”

    But it didn’t take him long to find his range. He hit his fourth ball for four – and then really let fly sending a record-breaking eight sixes over the boundary rope.

    In just the ninth over, he’d already equalled the most number of sixes hit by an individual in a BBL final – matching the five set by Melbourne Stars’ Kevin Pietersen and Perth Scorchers’ Michael Klinger – passing it soon after.

    Of course it could’ve been all over early, with Weatherald just clearing Simon Milenko on the boundary on the last ball of the sixth over.

    “You just get that luck. A couple just cleared the boundary line, that’s cricket,” Weatherald said, paying tribute to his captain.

    “(Travis Head) kept reminding me it’s all about the win. He said ‘just keep batting for as long as you can’. He helped me a lot out there.”

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