BBL 2025-26, Match 25 Review: Strikers hold their nerves in last-over finish as Thunder lose fourth in a row

Adelaide Strikers held their nerves to clinch a humdinger in Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26 against Sydney Thunder on Tuesday, January 6, at the Adelaide Oval.

Thunder skipper David Warner won the toss and opted to bowl first. His team made an early inroad courtesy of David Willey as Strikers’ skipper Matthew Short walked back in the first over after giving an easy catch to short cover. Chris Lynn injected some momentum into the innings with a quickfire 15 runs off six balls, but he could not last long, toe-ending a Nathan McAndrew delivery in the deep.

After losing their openers in the powerplay, Jason Sangha and Mackenzie Harvey joined forces in a 68-run stand off 53 balls. However, both batters fell in quick succession against slower balls, with Sangha lobbing up a simple catch off Daniel Sams at extra cover and Mackenzie holing out to long on against the bowling of Wes Agar.

Liam Scott smacked an unbeaten 49 off 32 balls despite wickets falling at the other end, with the Strikers slipping from 139/4 in the 17th over to a final score of 165/8. Agar was the pick of the bowlers for Thunder, picking up three wickets for just 16 runs in three overs. McAndrew leaked runs but managed two wickets.

In reply, Thunder flew off the blocks quickly, as Warner and Matthew Gilkes stitched a 73-run partnership inside 10 overs. However, they endured a mini-collapse, as Gikes fell for 43 off 33, nicking Jamie Overton behind, while Sam Billings had to walk back after a brilliant catch from Overton off Lloyd Pope’s bowling. The Thunder were staring down the barrel once Sam Konstas miscued Hasan Ali’s short ball to fine leg for a cheap dismissal, with the team losing three wickets for four runs in a space of 11 balls.

Nic Maddinson and Warner did the repair work with a 44-run stand off 27 balls; however, Overton cleaned up Maddinson for a 14-ball 21 to derail the opponents again. The lower-order continued to crumble, with Strikers not giving anything away despite Warner’s presence in the middle.

With 13 needed in the final over, Luke Wood conceded just one run in the first four deliveries against the well-set Warner to virtually seal the game. McAndrew faced the last two deliveries but could manage only five runs as Thunder were restricted to 159/7. Warner remained unbeaten on 67 off 51 balls.

Overton starred for Adelaide, returning with figures of 3/25 in four overs. Lloyd Pope bagged two wickets, while Hasan Ali bowled a frugal spell of 1/22 in four overs.

Thunder extended their losing streak to four games, killing any chance of progressing further in the tournament. Strikers, meanwhile, remain in the mid-table muddle with three wins and losses apiece.