Semi Final 1
Adelaide Strikers 159/7 (20 ov)
Sydney Thunder 160/2 (17.4/20 ov)
Sydney Thunder won by 8 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
A year ago, a team from Sydney - who had sneaked into the last four - came to Adelaide to play the table-topping locals in a semi-final, and silenced a record crowd, with victory thanks to a magical innings from a stylish left-hander. This time, the name, colour and look of the Sydneysiders were different, but the outcome the same.
Thanks to another glorious innings from Usman Khawaja, Sydney Thunder, for so long the competition's whipping boys and laughing stock, have never lost a BBL semi-final. On Friday, Melbourne Stars - with bad weather forecast - will play Perth Scorchers to host the Thunder in the Final. For Strikers, the curse of the BBL's top spot continues. Since BBL01, every table-topper has gone out in the semi-finals.
Khawaja has reached rare heights this summer, but here, there was simply nowhere the Strikers could bowl to stop him. Within four overs, he had knocked off a third of the target, sharing 53 with Shane Watson, who was allowed just three deliveries. Gary Putland was recalled by the Strikers but mauled by Khawaja, with a brutal flick to leg in his first over followed by a scythe through the covers in the next.
Jon Holland was treated no better, with a slog-sweep and two boundaries down the ground dispatched by Khawaja. The worst was reserved for Michael Neser, whose first over went for 19, including the easiest loose-limbed six over midwicket. There was more, all in the same magical over: an idyllic cover drive, a perfectly placed cut and a wristy flick.
So beautiful and brutal was this display of batsmanship - there was not a single stroke that could be labelled a slog - that when Khawaja did find a fielder, cheers rung out. After Watson fell to a better Ben Laughlin over, Khawaja knocked Travis Head for a couple of singles to bring up the Thunder's fastest ever 50, from just 24 balls. Khawaja was not yet done. Head's next over was slog-swept and late cut for six, then four.
Adil Rashid's introduction briefly caused Thunder some bother, as Hussey was given caught behind when he did not seem close to it. Soon enough, as Rashid lost his length, Khawaja went after him too, lacing a beautiful cut for four. Rashid returned and fought back well towards the end, but by then, the damage had been done.
As rain fell, Khawaja - in the company of Henry Nicholls - had motions to go through. Not a single risk was taken until he pulled Laughlin over the man at deep-square for another marvellous six to reach his second century of the tournament, and his fourth in seven innings in all cricket.
Strikers' 159 would likely not have been enough, even without a performance of such inspiration. The hosts were immediately behind the game, as fit-again Mahela Jayawardene was caught behind to Watson, and Tim Ludeman skied to a back-peddling Andre Russell, who made an extremely tricky catch look simple. Just as Head looked to be getting into his stride, consecutively cover-driving Nathan McAndrew for four, he was gone, slapping a half-volley straight to cover. When Brad Hodge missed a slog-sweep to a turner from Chris Green, Strikers were in strife at 4 for 66 at the halfway stage.
A sweep-laden innings from Alex Ross, alongside some late humpty from Neser and Rashid, carried the Strikers to 159. Ross got after Fawad Ahmed, with a pull and two sweeps for four, then Watson, who he guided fine and pulled hard for another pair of boundaries. Watson dismissed Ross's partner Jake Lehmann to halt the charge, but Neser threw the hands hard, proving particularly productive through the midwicket region. When he was yorked by Russell, and Ross fooled by a McKay slower ball, the onus was on Rashid to provide a final flourish. He delivered, cutting over backward point and driving over the covers for four, then finishing the innings with a tonk down the ground for six.
Little did he know, though, that he was just setting the game up a little more perfectly for Khawaja. The Thunder had headed to Adelaide with no fear, as the only team to beat the Strikers in the regular season. They leave on Saturday - like their female counterparts - having made their first ever final. Make no mistake, the Thunder have arrived, even if it is five years too late. If it all looks like this, they are welcome to stay.
Semi Final 2
Perth Scorchers 139/7 (20/20 ov)
Melbourne Stars 140/3 (18.1/20 ov)
Melbourne Stars won by 7 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)
On Thursday, one of the BBL's hoodoos rolled on, as Adelaide Strikers became the fourth consecutive table-toppers to fail to make the final. A day later, one was lifted, as Melbourne Stars, after the pain of losing four semi-finals, finally made the final. On Sunday, the Big Bash League will have a new winner, as Stars take on Sydney Thunder at the MCG. Whoever wins, however, will have a captain from the same family, as Thunder's Mike Hussey, in his last game in Australia, takes on Stars' David.
Stars had put up an excellent performance to limit Scorchers to 139; Daniel Worrall had produced the goods in the powerplay and at the death, with clever swing and a nagging line, while the spinners were superb, with Adam Zampa's leggies tough to get away and Michael Beer's swerving anglers, which often resembled medium pace, proved to be equally parsimonious.
The chase was not going to be easy. But as soon as Kevin Pietersen, who put together a measured mini-masterpiece, was at the crease, Stars looked in control. The sight of Pietersen shadow-batting in the middle two hours before the game, inspecting the pitch, and loosening his limbs, was an interesting, arresting one. Say what you will about Pietersen, but nobody in the game prepares better.
At the crease, Pietersen instantly looked just that: better prepared. Stars took eight runs from the first three overs before Luke Wright slapped to cover. Pietersen was immediately away, flicking David Willey for two. He then combined with Marcus Stonis and ensured that the next two overs cost three fours each. Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, usually stingy, were carted, with Stoinis particularly severe on Tye through the legside.
After that, remarkably, Stars went six overs without a boundary. But such was the pair's calm that this was not an issue. The MCG is big, and they exploited the spaces with ones and twos. Brad Hogg then jagged one back and had Stoinis lbw for 44. Pietersen, though, rolled along in the company of Peter Handscomb. He faced just six dot balls, and unfurled out some trademark fanciness, including the one-legged ramp and a dance down to bump David Willey - who had given him some lip - over long-off for six. Eventually, after a late assault on Joel Paris, he was bowled trying a reverse ramp. David Hussey, however, joined Handscomb to finish the job with 11 balls to spare.
Right from the first over, the hosts had looked out to right wrongs. Rob Quiney at mid-off dove full stretch to cut off a Marcus Harris drive, and two balls later Worrall got one to nip away and Quiney took the catch from a skied short-arm jab. Michael Carberry looked in good touch but, after he drove Ben Hilfenhaus beautifully through cover, Worrall had him too, cramped up when trying to cut. These key scalps were Worrall's reward for discipline.
During Michael Klinger's partnership with Adam Voges, however, everything reverted to a rather familiar feel, with Scorchers steadily accumulating in readiness for late acceleration. Voges looked particularly business-like, firing Evan Gulbis's only over for three fours. Zampa was drilled back over his head and Stoinis pumped over mid-off. Klinger, who had looked less fluent, got in on the act too, tracking Hilfenhaus and sending him for a handsome straight six.
But that late acceleration never came. With his final ball, the last of the 16th over, Zampa tossed one up and ripped with his wrist; Klinger had premeditated a sweep and long-on barely had to move. Next ball, Willey tried to slog Stoinis, who had taken the previous catch, and was caught on the edge of the circle. Ashton Agar almost succumbed to the same fate, but Hilfenhaus shelled a terribly tough, sliding catch at third man. When Voges found long-on in the next over off Beer, Scorchers were in disarray at 5 for 116 having uncharacteristically wasted a platform.
Stars, right on cue, found two fine death overs to seal the squeeze. Hilfenhaus claimed Agar and gave away only six in the penultimate over of the innings, before Worral returned to york Tye. If any team could defend 139, it was Scorchers, but this felt terribly underpar, much like the crowd, which looked thin due to the threat of rain and the fun of tennis.
With each ball faced by Pietersen, the hope of a third title for Scorchers became ever slimmer. Remarkably, like Stars, Pietersen has never won a domestic T20 title. Both have more hoodoos to end on Sunday.
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