Strikers sideline lacklustre Thunder

Adelaide Strikers became the first team to win batting first in the BBL this summer, though another limp display by the Sydney Thunder left plenty of room to doubt the reliability of the match as an indicator that sending the opposition in will no longer be quite so fashionable.

The visitors were given a sound start by Michael Klinger and Tim Ludeman before a spike at the finish by the explosive Nathan Reardon. They needed only to weather a typically fast and furious spell by Dirk Nannes, who so far is standing out in the Thunder line-up about as much as Michael Clarke did when Australia's captain returned to Western Suburbs for a game of club cricket earlier in the season.

Any hopes the Thunder had of chasing the target were essentially gone when Chris Gayle pinged Kieron Pollard to Johan Botha on the midwicket fence after a 19-ball stay devoid of his usual timing, and the rest melted away without offering much to a small but hopeful crowd.

Shaun Tait played his first match of the BBL and nabbed three wickets amid his usual assortment of the unplayable and the unwatchable, while Kane Richardson zipped through Scott Coyte and Chris Tremain in consecutive balls on his way to startling figures.

Among the few talking points to be raised from the match was the appearance of the only two leg spinners deemed worthy of a first-class match this season, New South Welshman Adam Zampa for the Thunder and Queensland's Cameron Boyce for the Strikers.

Zampa delivered an exemplary, economical first three overs for a wicket but had his analysis disfigured when called on to bowl to Reardon in full flight. Boyce defeated Chris Rogers with a delectable googly and also spun his leg break nicely, providing a helpful contrast to the speed of Tait and Richardson. Together, they were far too much for the Thunder.