Dutch international Tom Cooper hit his highest Big Bash League score of 59 to guide Melbourne Renegades to a total of 6-155 in their clash with Adelaide Strikers at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Renegades had been struggling but Cooper (59 off 46 balls including two fours and two sixes) and Will Sheridan (15 not out) took 42 runs off the final four overs.

The Strikers had chosen to bowl first and started well as spinner Brad Young (2-37) dismissed Michael Hill (three) and West Indian import Marlon Samuels (16) cheaply.

Samuels belted two fours and a six from the first three deliveries of Young’s second over but was out two balls later as he edged a simple catch to backward point.

Renegades’ captain Aaron Finch, the competition’s leading runscorer, holed out to deep mid-wicket for 13 at 3-51 as spinner Johan Botha claimed a vital wicket in his first over.

It was a second successive failure for Finch who has scored 242 runs at 60.50 in six matches.

Ben Rohrer (35) was heading towards his second successive half-century but fell 15 runs short after a brilliant diving catch by West Indian import Kieron Pollard off his own bowling.

Peter Nevill fell for three to Michael Neser’s bowling at 5-112 in the 16th over as the Renegades’ innings started to lose momentum.

However, the home side were able to get back on track when Gary Putland conceded 15 runs from the 19th over. Putland bowled a high full toss which was called a no-ball, leading to a free-hit which Cooper smashed to the point boundary.

Cooper also played an audacious ramp shot over wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman’s head for a boundary on the first bounce in the final over, bowled by Kane Richardson.

Ludeman took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Cooper from the last ball of the 20th over bowled by Richardson.

Skipper Botha claimed 1-17 off four tight overs.

The Renegades have four wins from five games while the Strikers have a 3-2 record as they fight for places in the semi-finals to be played on January 15 and 16.