BBL 2025-26: Strikers sign off with commanding spin-led victory

The Adelaide Strikers hosted the Melbourne Renegades in Match 38 of the Big Bash League 2025-26 at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, January 17. The home team won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Slow left-arm bowler Jerrssis Wadia began the proceedings and proved his captain's decision to bowl first right with wickets off the first two balls. The 24-year-old sent back Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk for golden ducks. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan joined opener Josh Brown as the Strikers were right on top.

Rizwan looked positive and scored a couple of boundaries before succumbing to a brilliant catch by Wadia at deep square leg off Henry Thornton for 17(14). Meanwhile, Josh Brown was struggling to get going at the other end and the dangerous right-hander was the next man to go for 6(14). The Renegades found themselves at 27/4 in the sixth over.

A mini-partnership ensued between Hassan Khan and Caleb Jewell, but leg spinner Lloyd Pope brought an end to it by dismissing Hassan for 17(9). Pope did not stop there as the 26-year-old stopped Jewell in his tracks too for 14(13). The Renegades were 58/6 in the 10th over as their innings was not going anywhere.

The situation for the Men in Red got worse as the Strikers' South African import Tabraiz Shamsi ran through the remaining four batters and the innings ended for 99 all out in the 17th over. The spinners - Shamsi (4/15), Pope (2/23), and Wadia (2/11) accounted for eight of the 10 wickets to fall.

Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey and captain Matthew Short opened the innings for the home team as they looked in a hurry to finish off the match quickly. Unfortunately for Carey, his innings came to an end in the fourth over for 22(15). The Strikers ended the first powerplay at 39/1 and were well on course for a big win.

New man Chris Lynn and Short carried on in a steady manner, crossing the team 50-run mark without any further damage. However, the captain could not last the distance as the 30-year-old was caught at deep midwicket. Liam Scott joined Lynn and the pair saw the team home comfortably by eight wickets and 8.1 overs to spare. Shamsi, for his four-wicket haul, was adjudged as the Player of the Match.

Both the teams ended their season today. The Strikers ended up with a 4-6 win-loss ratio to finish the season at eighth while the Renegades had three wins and seven losses, making them finish at ninth.