This is it from today's encounter between the Heats and Strikers. This is Arijit Kundu, bringing you the coverage alongside fellow commentators, Badal Pareek, and Ayan Chatterjee. I hope you loved every bit of it, and now it's time to bid adieu to all of you. Do Switch into the other coverages - Ind vs Sa, Ire vs Wi for some more action. Tata.
Rashid Khan(Player of the Match): "Definitely, I knew that I had to bowl in the right areas and length. After bowling the initial 2-3 balls, I knew if I bowl at the right channel, I can get success here. I thought the way I bowled, I was really happy with it. There was more energy and belief in the team today and happy I could sign off with the win. It was important for us to win today. We have to take one game at a time and see where we are at. I think if we can play up to our potential, we can be in the top 3. The aim is to be at the top5. Sad to leave the tournament now, due to international commitments. Hope to come back to Australia. It's a lovely place to play cricket. Hope to be back next season. "
What a day for Rashid Khan!! The last game of Rashid in this edition of BigBash League and he finishes things off in some charisma with a sixer. A figure of 4-0-17-6 from the magician and the Heats get the edge over by a massive 71 runs. The Strikers were nowhere near the runchase and lost wickets in tandem after the third wicket partnership between Pfeffer and Duckett.
Earlier in the game, Adelaide Strikers won the toss and opted to bat first. They did start off decent with Matthew Short playing a small cameo of 27 runs and Henry Hunt stranding at just 5 runs of as many balls. The Strikers finished the mandatory powerplay for 33-1 (4). Weatherland and Hunt dig the innings from there and added 53 more runs for the 2nd wicket partnership. All the batters contributed in bits and pieces towards a total of 161 after 20 overs with Rashid Khan playing a quick cameo of 13 runs from 4 balls with two sixes. Out of the six batters who batted in the innings, five of them got to a 20+ score.
In reply, the Heats suffered early blows in the form of Nathan McSweeny and Chris Lynn right inside the powerplay. It was just Pfeffer and Duckett who were looking a bit steady, but not for long as a mess up between the duo caused the wicketkeeper to walk back to the pavilion. Following this, wickets kept on tumbling in clusters. Rashid Khan cleared the clutter below the top four of the Heats' batting order. The afghan magician wreaked havoc and went on to pick a six-for to end this season in a charismatic way. The home side got bundled up for 90 runs and incurred a thumping defeat by a margin of 71 runs.
14.6 R Khan to L Guthrie
W GONE! Gets his sixth scalp. Guthrie sees loads of flight and tossed up the ball, Guthrie goes for the big one as he tries to hit it out of the park gets the healthy edge to Short at first slip. 6-17 in 4 overs here. 7 for 28 is what the Heat lost. A win by 71 runs for the Strikers. Rashid Khan, you are a star.
14.5 R Khan to L Guthrie
0 Tosses it up outside off, Guthrie tries to cut and misses.
14.4 R Khan to X Bartlett
1 Hat-trick ball, Bartlett swings and survives as he hits that to midwicket for a single.