Big Bash League 2014-15: Travis Head leads Adelaide Strikers to top spot

Travis Head

Adelaide Strikers defeated Melbourne Renegades by 22 runs in their final Big Bash League T20 group stage match, at the Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, on Monday, to finish on top of the points table. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the Strikers posted a more than competitive 166 for 5 in their 20 overs.

Left-handed batsman Travis Head was the star with the bat for the Strikers, scoring a 34-ball 71 with 7 fours and 4 sixes. Kelvin Smith and Johan Botha also chipped in with useful cameos to help their side set a defendable total on the board. James Pattinson was the pick of the bowlers for the home side, taking 1 for 12 in his 4 overs.

The Renegades, in reply, never got going, losing wickets at regular intervals, and eventually fell short by 22 runs. Strikers’ pacer Ben Laughlin took 2 for 24 in his 3 overs.

The win means that the Strikers go through to the semi-finals of the competition as table-toppers and will face the team that finishes fourth at the end of the group stage. The result knocked Renegades out from the competition and confirmed Sydney Sixers’ berth in the knockouts.

There are just 2 more encounters to go in the group stage. Perth Scorchers, who are currently second on the table, need to lose their final fixture – against the Melbourne Stars on Wednesday – by a massive margin to drop out of the top two.

The other match will be the Sydney Derby, to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

Points table

Team	Played	Won	Lost	No Result	Points	Net run Rate
Adelaide Strikers	8	6	1	1	13	1.159
Perth Scorchers	7	5	2	0	10	0.848
Melbourne Stars	7	4	3	0	8	0.337
Sydney Sixers	7	4	3	0	8	-0.023
Hobart Hurricanes	8	3	5	0	6	-0.280
Melbourne Renegades	8	3	5	0	6	-0.331
Sydney Thunder	7	2	4	1	5	-0.561
Brisbane Heat	8	2	6	0	4	-1.116