James Faulkner and Lasith Malinga led a high-class Melbourne Stars pace attack in demolishing the Adelaide Strikers in a one-sided encounter at the MCG. A woeful batting performance from the Strikers – only Michael Klinger and Kane Richardson reached double figures – meant they were only able to post 9 for 90 from their full 20 overs and the Stars sailed past the target in the eighth over of the chase.
After the Strikers chose to bat, Jackson Bird’s new-ball swing caused some issues and Alex Hales was caught at slip for 5. The promotion of Tim Ludeman to No.3 as a pinch hitter failed as he could only manage 6 from 11 deliveries before he sliced a catch to point off Faulkner, who picked up Phillip Hughes for a golden duck next ball, caught behind off a delivery that found some extra bounce from the drop-in pitch.
From there it was all downhill for the Strikers; Klinger kept the runs ticking over as much as he could but his partners kept disappearing at the other end. A magnificent inswinging yorker from Malinga bowled Nathan Reardon and it was Malinga and Faulkner who caused the most problems. Faulkner finished with 3 for 9 from his four overs and Malinga’s four brought 2 for 8 as the batsmen had no answers to their pace, aggression and swing.
The legspinner James Muirhead also got in on the act by deceiving Michael Neser, who was stumped off a good legbreak, and it took a 24-run stand from Klinger and Richardson (21) to get the Strikers to within range of even batting out their overs. Eventually Klinger was caught in the deep off Faulkner for 42 and the Strikers had to rely on their own fast men if they were to defend the tiny total.
Realistically, though, that was never going to happen, and Luke Wright’s 49 from 20 balls made certain of it. He struck eight fours and two sixes in a 62-run opening stand with Cameron White (13) before both men were caught attacking Neser from consecutive balls, but Glenn Maxwell easily finished the job with 25 off 10 balls, a top-edged six of his securing the win.
