A career-best bowling performance from England import Tom Curran has the Sydney Sixers strongly placed against the Adelaide Strikers in Wednesday’s KFC BBL clash at Adelaide Oval.
Curran snared 4-22 off 3.4 overs to help skittle the Strikers for 135, leaving the Sixers an asking rate of just 6.80 per over to climb to outright top spot on the ladder.
After being sent in to bat, the Strikers suffered a collapse of 5-10 from 21 balls to slump from 3-110 to 8-120, ultimately losing their last seven wickets for just 25.
Jake Weatherald (47) held the Strikers together during and after the powerplay following the cheap early dismissals of Phil Salt (six) and Matt Short (seven).
But when Weatherald was yorked by Curran in the 10th over, the boundaries dried up and the Strikers never recovered.
Curran couldn’t be kept out of the action, snaring a fine diving catch at mid-off to dismiss dangerous Adelaide captain Alex Carey (32) off the bowling of Ben Dwarshuis (2-20).
Leg-spinner Lloyd Pope (2-33) started the late-innings rot when he snared Jon Wells (seven) and Michael Neser (two) in his last over.
Curran then mopped up the tail.
Strikers XI: Jake Weatherald, Phil Salt, Matt Short, Alex Carey (c/wk), Jon Wells, Michael Neser, Cam Valente, Rashid Khan, Peter Siddle, Harry Conway, Billy Stanlake
Sixers XI: Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Hughes (c), James Vince, Justin Avendano, Jordan Silk, Tom Curran, Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood, Lloyd Pope
