Adelaide Strikers beat Melbourne Stars by 11 runs

Massive win for the Strikers at the Adelaide Oval with a morale-boosting win against Melbourne Stars. Jonathan Wells starred with the bat, and Peter Siddle excelled with the ball as the Strikers reclaimed second place from the Sixers. Whoever finished second plays the Stars in the 'Qualifier' with the winner going straight to the final.

Strikers started their innings well before Glenn Maxwell, stepping down from the captaincy for the match due to a bereavement, bowled Phil Salt with the score on 27. Travis Head fell for five and Jake Weatherald for 15 as the Stars chipped away at the home team's batting line up. The returning Alex Carey added 33, including three sixes, before Clint Hinchcliffe took his third wicket of the night.

The Strikers were 4/91 in the fourteenth over and Jonathan Wells and Matthew Short providing a partnership that they needed. Wells has been reliable throughout the campaign and notched up 400 runs in his unbeaten half-century. It was his fourth fifty, this one from 36 balls, to project his team to a defendable total. Short's 23 from 15 was important as the Strikers looked to put pressure on the leaders and reached 4/162.

In chasing the total, the Stars were soon under more pressure when the leading run-scorer Marcus Stoinis was out for five. Nic Maddinson followed in the sixth over as the Stars looked vulnerable. It was a sight not on show too much in BBL09; it was apparent when Wes Agar removed both Nick Larkin and the dangerous Maxwell for 19 runs each. When Seb Gotch went to 10, the Stars were struggling at 5/90.

Like Wells had played for the Strikers, Peter Handscomb performed a similar role for the Stars. Hinchliffe and Adam Zampa both fell for five, but Handscomb kept his side within touching distance. Siddle bowled the last over and picked up two wickets, to deny the Stars despite Handscomb's best efforts. His 65 runs from 39 balls were not quite good enough, and the Strikers won by 11 runs.