Overview
It all comes down to this match for the Adelaide Strikers. Still a mathematical chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the KFC T20 Big Bash League, the Strikers must win their last game at home, and win well, and hope the Hurricanes down the Heat in Hobart, but not by too much.

Tipped by many as competition smokeys at the start of BBL|03, Adelaide’s handy start in their first three games has since been rocked by four straight losses in the New Year to have them sitting sixth on the competition table, and well in the zone of teams praying for other results to go their way.

The Renegades sit one point below the Strikers on the table, unable to qualify for the Big Finals. This has been a disappointing follow-up to last summer, in which they surged into the playoffs on the back of three straight wins.

Both teams need to put all that aside though, along with the various injuries and national selections that have disrupted them at times this season, and fight for one last win in BBL|03.

Key Battle: Shaun Tait v Nathan Rimmington
With both teams desperate to finish the season with a win, the best way of doing that will be for the top order batsmen to lay the foundation in the early overs. And this makes the role of each side’s respective front line quicks all the more important, as they’re the difference between the batting side getting away, or being rocked by early wickets.

Tait is the second-top wicket taker for Adelaide (one behind Michel Neser), and Rimmington heads the Renegades’ list. You can’t help thinking that whoever of these two takes the most wickets, wins this game.

Dark Horse: Alex Hales
Everyone knows what Alex Hales is capable of with the bat in his hand. Everyone knows the Adelaide Oval has some of the shorter square boundaries in Australia. Put those two together and tickets for Strikers home games should come with a safety warning at the least, and ideally, a hard hat.

However, Hales hasn’t quite produced it yet in BBL|03, managing only three times to go past 16, for two scores of 31 and a high score of 49. His strike rate is still very good, but Adelaide desperately needs a big score from him in this, potentially their last game of the season. A big Hales knock and a big run-rate boosting win could yet propel the Strikers into the Big Semi Finals.

Last Time
January 2, 2013 @ Adelaide Oval: After being sent in, the Renegades built a handy total of 6-155 on the back of a couple of handy partnerships. Ben Rohrer and Tom Cooper added 46 for the fourth wicket, and then Cooper and Will Sheridan added 43 for the sixth wicket, to push the Renegades out to their final score.

By contrast, the Strikers managed only one partnership of note, with Johan Botha and Michael Neser adding 44 for the seventh wicket, but by that stage, the damage had already been done.

Muthiah Muralidaran and Marlon Samuels took three wickets each, as eight Strikers were out for single figure scores – four of them ducks.

Facts and Figures
Michael Klinger is the standout leading runscorer (664 runs) for Adelaide in the BBL, with more than double the tally of Nathan Reardon (304) in second spot. Tim Ludeman (249) will go past Callum Ferguson (262) in this match if he scores 14 or more.

The great Muthiah Muralidaran remains one of the most economical bowlers of BBL|03, still conceding less than a run-a-ball over 25 overs in seven matches. Batting sides seem content to just sit on him though; he’s only taken six wickets for the tournament at a strike rate of one every 25 balls.

While it would be easy to assume marquee English long bomber Alex Hales has the best strike rate for the Strikers, he’s actually running third, having been pipped by Adelaide’s two most recent batting inclusions. Young gun Travis Head’s 17 from nine balls against Perth last Thursday gives him a strike rate of 188.89, while Jono Dean is going at 163.15 from his two games last round.

Nathan Rimmington (18), Murali (17), and Aaron O’Brien (16) are all a chance of being the first player to crack 20 wickets for the Renegades in their three-year BBL history.

Australian Test quick Peter Siddle will make his Renegades – and BBL – debut after a rest following the triumphant Ashes Series. Siddle joined the Renegades from the green side of Melbourne, but never actually played a game for the Stars. In fact, this will be his first Twenty20 game since 2010/2011.

Broadcast: from 7:00pm local time, 7:30pm AEDT on Channel Ten, and on Fairfax Radio Network.

Source: www.bigbash.com.au