The Strikers cruised to victory over a disappointing Sixers side with a batting masterclass from Ian Cockbain and Matt Renshaw to secure a place in the Finals in their final game of the season.
The Strikers went 2-165 from 17.3 overs in response to a Sixers 7-161 at the Adelaide Oval, with Cockbain blasting a game-winning 71 from 42 balls.
MATCH CENTRE: Strikers vs Sixers scoreboard, teams, videos, updates
Watch all KFC Big Bash League games live and on demand on Kayo or catch up for FREE with minis on Kayo Freebies. Join Kayo now >
The Sixers went 7-161 from 20 overs after winning the bat flip and batting first against the Strikers, with Justin Avendano scoring his first BBL half-century.
Josh Philippe was the first man out after being bizarrely knocked around his legs attempting a leg look at Fawad Ahmed for 22 from 19 balls, including two on all fours.
Sixers skipper Moises Henriques smashed two fours on his way to 17, before being knocked down by part-time Matt Renshaw with a full delivery midway through the innings.
Jack Edwards struggled to go big as he only hit one boundary in a run-a-ball 34 before producing a nil to be thrown, giving Ahmed his second.
NEW PODCAST – Isa Guha: The Endless Troubles with English Cricket preview from Women’s Ashes. Listen below or subscribe itunes Or Spotify.
Daniel Hughes came and went for a first duck as Ahmed was on a hat-trick after the Sixers star was caught by Harry Nielsen.
Ahmed finished with the shining numbers of 3-16 from his four overs to put the brakes on the Sixers’ innings.
Dan Christian blasted a six on his way to 22, before being caught deep in Henry Thornton.
The star of the Sixers innings was undoubtedly Justin Avendano who hit five sixes and a four in a breakthrough first half of BBL and finished with 52 on just 29 balls.
Avendano was finally taken from the depths of the final against Peter Siddle to extend his lead in the Golden Arm race with his 22nd wicket.
Siddle then netted 23 wickets after beating Sean Abbott for 5 to go for a hat-trick before the last ball of the innings.
Play Australia’s best fantasy cricket game – KFC SuperCoach BBL. Join now at supercoach.com.au >
In Strikers innings, Henry Hunt had a four and a six on his way to 15 before being caught by Todd Murphy to give Ben Dwarshuis his 100th career BBL wicket.
Matt Renshaw blew seven boundaries to bring in his sixth BBL 50 on 31 balls, but was knocked down for one too many ramp shots by Hayden Kerr.
But Cockbain picked up where Renshaw left off to blast half a century of himself with just 30 bullets.
Cockbain finished with 71 of 42 balls, including five fours and four towering sixes to lead the Strikers home.
“It’s a demolition,” Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“Renshaw and Cockbain just took the game away from the Sixers.”
The victory puts the Strikers in the final series, while the Sixers must win their last game to try to secure second place.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Peter Siddle’s Adelaide Strikers need to win their last game of the regular season to secure a place in the final when they host the Sydney Sixers at the Adelaide Oval.
The fourth-placed Strikers have 24 points alongside the Hurricanes who are one game behind, while the second-placed Sixers need to win their last two games to secure second place.
The Strikers are coming off a victory over the Melbourne Stars on Saturday, while the Sixers beat their rivals against the Thunder in their last outing on the same day.
Matt Renshaw and Jono Wells were in top form with the bat for the Strikers, while Peter Siddle and Henry Thornton were the dangerous men with the ball.
For the Sixers, Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques will lead the charge at bat, while Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis have been among the wickets recently.
That sets the stage for a tantalizing clash of that Monday night double-header as the regular season draws to a close and the series finale is just around the corner.
Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Register now!!!
RELIVE THE ACTION IN OUR BLOG BELOW. DO NOT YOU SEE IT ? CLICK HERE.
