Thunder vs Strikers, 27th Match at Adelaide, BBL, Dec 31 2021 - Match Result

10.02 pm Thunder march into Adelaide missing Hales, Ross and Tanveer Sangha due to Covid issues and still waltz out of Adelaide Oval with a comfortable win thanks to the exploits of Jason Sangha with the bat, setting up the win with an unbeaten 91 before Sams takes four wickets in the chase to close the door on the Strikers.

Ben Cutting on the Thunder win: "It's nice to get out there to face a few balls and set up a baseline for Jason Sangha to smack it like he did. It was a very interesting day from both a physical and mental perspective holed up in our hotel rooms. We didn't know if the game was going to be on or off."

That's it from us tonight. For Danyal Rasool, I'm Peter Della Penna. Happy New Year's to everyone following along in Australia where the countdown is less than 90 minutes away to 2022 in the eastern states. Come back for more BBL action in the new year. Take care!

Not a night to remember for Rashid. No wickets and now a golden duck.

Rashid enters off strike, about five overs too late...

28 needed off the last over.

James: "Going Neilson over Khan needing 15 an over makes no sense. " Well, now we know why the Strikers are struggling this season.

Dezz: "But swapping out the 11th best player for the 12th wasn't actually the idea was it? It's a strategy change thing - eg swap a bowler f9r batsmen or spinner for seamer etc." It would make more sense if you could swap out a batter for a bowler after the entire 1st innings has been completed, like a true designated hitter in baseball. But that's not the current design of the rule. Instead most of the time it is used, it is done by the fielding side to swap a bowler after one over who has bowled seam in place of a spinner for three overs depending on how the pitch is playing or vice versa. Again, you're not swapping out a frontline bowler in that instance. You're swapping out your fifth best option for 5A or 6.