Adelaide Strikers snapped their seven-year curse on New Year’s Eve with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval. After restricting the Heat to just 121 runs in 19.4 overs, the Strikers chased down the target with ease, finishing the match with 35 balls to spare.
Chris Lynn, celebrating his 300th T20 appearance, was the star of the show, smashing an unbeaten 79 off 41 balls, including six fours and six sixes. His innings not only guided the Strikers to victory but also made him the first batter in BBL history to surpass 4,000 runs. Lynn reached his milestone in style, sending Xavier Bartlett over the boundary for a memorable six.
Chris Lynn Powers Strikers in Clinical Chase
Despite early setbacks with the wickets of Matt Short (19), Mackenzie Harvey (11), and Jerrssis Wadia (1), the Heat struggled to contain Lynn. He scored his record-extending 32nd BBL half-century off just 30 balls and capped the innings with three consecutive sixes off Matthew Kuhnemann in the final overs.
Brisbane Heat, on the other hand, had a disastrous start, collapsing to 21 for 5 in the sixth over. Only a late partnership between Kuhnemann (31*) and Hugh Weibgen (28) prevented a total embarrassment. Jamie Overton led the Strikers’ bowling attack with 3-19, supported by Liam Scott (2-12) and Hasan Ali (2-29).
Scott, used sparingly in the first two Strikers games, bowled all four of his allotted overs, claiming early wickets as the Heat top order—Colin Munro (4), Jack Wildermuth (5), and Lachlan Hearne (2)—fell cheaply to mid-off. A run-out of Matt Renshaw (6) and Max Bryant’s (1) dismissal to Scott compounded the Heat’s woes. Jimmy Peirson added 13 before falling to Hasan Ali.
Though Kuhnemann and Weibgen stitched together a 36-run partnership for the eighth wicket, it was never enough to challenge the Strikers’ dominance. Adelaide completed the chase with authority, finally ending their New Year’s Eve losing streak dating back to 2018.
