Big Bash Daily: Hales and Ferguson secure playoff qualification for Sydney Thunder

Thunder ease to a nine-wicket victory to progress to the playoffs but Strikers face a nervous 24 hours to discover their fate

Hales and Ferguson combine to guarantee playoff berth for Sydney Thunder

Alex Hales and captain Callum Ferguson put together a partnership of 116 runs off 74 deliveries to secure playoff qualification for Sydney Thunder.

Playing a rain-shortened 14-over match, Adelaide Strikers lost Alex Carey, Phil Salt and Travis Head early on to reach the halfway mark on a disappointing 37/3. However, Jake Weatherald and Jon Wells struck 63 from their six-over partnership to help their side post a competitive target of 116 to win. Weatherald top-scored for Strikers with 80 not out from just 47 deliveries, including eight fours and four sixes.

Usman Khawaja was dismissed by Daniel Worrall for a golden duck to get Thunder’s innings off to the worst possible start. However, Hales and Ferguson beautifully combined their contrasting styles of destruction and patience to safely steer their team home with 11 balls to spare. Hales recorded his third half-century of the competition with an impressive 63 from 39 balls while Ferguson supported him with 46 off 33 deliveries.

Collecting all four points in Adelaide, Thunder have secured playoff qualification for the just the third time in their history. They currently sit third in the table but could slip down to fourth – and be forced to play in the eliminator match – if Hobart Hurricanes record a convincing victory over Melbourne Renegades.

First ball! Worrall knocks Khawaja over with a HUGE inswinger! #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/I3JuWjelfG

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 25, 2021

Alex Hales passes 500 runs in BBL 10

Against Sydney Sixers on January 22, Hales became the first Englishman to hit a BBL century and passed 1000 career runs for Sydney Thunder to become their third highest scorer of all-time. He collected a few more records against Strikers on Monday.

Hales passed 500 runs for the second time in his BBL career, joining Marcus Stoinis and D’Arcy Short as the only players to achieve this feat on multiple occasions.

Last season, Hales hit 576 runs, including six half centuries, in 17 appearances to record the fourth highest series total in Big Bash history. Scoring 63 against Strikers, the 32-year old has hit 535 runs in BBL 10 and is on course to surpass last season’s total in the playoffs.

In crunching Liam O’Connor over square-leg for six in the tenth over, Hales also set a new record for the most sixes hit in a single tournament. Hales has now hit 30 sixes in BBL 10 to eclipse Stoinis’ record of 28, which he set last season on his way to a record 705-runs.

30 sixes in a single @BBL! New ground has been hit by Alex Hales! ☄ #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/VByukEPg7c

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 25, 2021

Playoff qualification out of Strikers’ control

Victory at the Adelaide Oval today would have earned Strikers a playoff berth and guaranteed them a top three finish. Now, however, all they can do is watch as the results of the remaining three fixtures determine their fate.

Strikers currently sit in fourth position on 28 points, one point above fifth-placed Hobart Hurricanes and only four points clear of seventh-placed Melbourne Stars, with two playoff berths up for grabs.

The Adelaide outfit will qualify, in fourth or fifth position, providing only one of the Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars wins on Tuesday.

However, if Hurricanes and Heat win, Strikers will finish in sixth position while they can also be eliminated on net run rate if Melbourne Stars secure a Bash-Boost victory over Sydney Sixers and one of the other two teams wins.

With four teams competing for two playoff spots, there’s a nervy 24 hours ahead for Travis Head’s men.

Big Bash fixtures 2020-21: Full BBL schedule, matches dates

Triple-header to finish the regular season

Kicking off in Adelaide just after midnight, Brisbane Heat take on Perth Scorchers knowing that a bonus-point win will secure progression to the playoffs. Defeat would see them exit the competition while a regular three-point win will leave them nervously calculating net run rate and praying Melbourne Stars don’t earn four points against Sydney Sixers.

However, in Perth Scorchers they have the worst possible opponents. Scorchers are the competition’s form side, losing just once in 2021, and have Golden Arm, Jhye Richardson, in their arsenal. Despite having already qualified for the playoffs, Scorchers will be gunning for victory to secure home advantage for the qualifier.

Hobart Hurricanes face Melbourne Renegades in the first of two clashes at the MCG. Hurricanes only need to equal or better the results of Heat and Stars to remain in the competition. Bolstered by the return of Matthew Wade and facing bottom side Melbourne Renegades, Hurricanes should be feeling confident ahead of tomorrow’s fixture. However, with Renegades capable of posting 150+ scores or being bowled out for double-figure totals, quite frankly anything could happen.

The final group match of BBL 10 sees Sydney Sixers take on Melbourne Stars. Sixers have eased through the group stage and have already secured a top-two finish. However, they have lost their last two matches and will be hoping to get back to winning ways ahead of the knock-out round.

Stars, meanwhile, could already be eliminated by the time they take to the field at the MCG. However, if results go their way, they could be 40 overs away from playoff qualification.