Overton, Scott end Sydney Thunder's playoff hopes
Scott's unbeaten 49 took Strikers to 165 before Overton's three-for consigned Thunder to a fourth straight loss
AAP
06-Jan-2026
Jamie Overton picked up 3 for 25 off his four overs • Getty Images
Adelaide Strikers 165 for 8 (Scott 49*, Harvey 38, Agar 3-16, McAndrew 2-32) beat Sydney Thunder 159 for 7 (Warner 67*, Gilkes 43, Overton 3-25, Pope 4-37) by six runs
Adelaide Strikers rallied on the back of some outstanding bowling to defend 165 and pull off a BBL heist against the Sydney Thunder.
Strikers' 165 for 8 looked about 20 runs short on Tuesday night at the Adelaide Oval but Jamie Overton, Hassan Ali and Lloyd Pope all contributed with the ball to secure the win.
After captain Matt Short took a crucial diving catch to remove David Wiley in the second-last over, Luke Wood dropped an easy chance off Nathan McAndrew. But Wood redeemed himself, bowling a perfect last over. Thunder needed 13 to win, but Wood restricted them and they finished on 158 for 7.
Thunder captain David Warner, unbeaten on a match-high 67, smashed his bat into the ground in frustration when it was clear in the last over that his side would not win.
While Strikers are in the finals hunt, Thunder are last with only one win from seven games and out of the playoff race.
Chasing 166, Warner and Matthew Gilkes took Thunder to 73 for 0 in the 10th over and it looked as though the visitors would cruise to the win. But Gilkes' dismissal for 43, caught behind off Overton, triggered a top-order wobble. Sam Billings and Sam Konstas went cheaply in a 7 for 3 spell that had Thunder suddenly stalled at 77 for 3 in the 12th.
Warner and Nic Maddinson then combined for a 44-run stand as the momentum shifted again. After Overton dismissed Maddinson for 21, Pope bowled Daniel Sams and Chris Green was run out by an excellent throw from Jerssis Wadia to leave the game in the balance again. Overton was the pick of the attack with 3 for 25 from his four overs.
After his 3 for 30 BBL debut on Sunday, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was left out of the Strikers line-up for Hassan. Chris Lynn hit a towering six to open Strikers' innings after Warner won the toss. But Lynn and fellow opener Matt Short did not survive the first two overs.
Liam Scott was unbeaten on 49, but was kept at the non-strikers' end for much of the final overs, while Mackenzie Harvey contributed 38. Wes Agar was outstanding at the death, taking two wickets in Adelaide's last over. He snared 3 for 16 from three overs, while Tanveer Sangha's four overs only cost a miserly 0-19.