BBL 11: Harry Conway, Ian Cockbain guide Adelaide Strikers to six run win over Sydney Thunders

BBL 11: Adelaide Strikers beat Sydney Thunders by six runs in the Knockout to keep their Big Bash League (BBL) 11^th edition 2021-22 ambitions alive.

Harry Conway bowled a brilliant over with Thunder needing 14 off the final over. On consecutive deliveries, he dismissed set Alex Ross and then Ben Cutting to help his team win the game.

Despite losing Alex Hales early on, captain Usman Khawaja and Jason Sangha kept the clock ticking nicely until Khawaja was controversially sent back to the pavilion.

Khawaja sliced to a forward diving Fawad at short third base in the eighth inning, with the fielder claiming the catch.

Later replays showed the ball striking the ground, but the evidence was insufficient for the third umpire to overrule the soft signal.

Ross and Sangha then teamed up for a third-wicket stand of 90 runs to take the game to a new level. Sangha, who was on 61 when skipper Peter Siddle removed him in the 17th over, brought his team back into the game.

At the top of the order, Alex Carey and Mathew Short laid a solid platform for Strikers. Ian Cockbain, an Englishman, followed with another brilliant inning. The right-hander smashed 65 runs off 38 balls to help his team to a threatening 185/6.

The Strikers appeared to be on track to hit 200 runs, but Thunder made a comeback thanks to superb bowling by Tanveer Sangha and Gurinder Sandhu. Sangha, the leg spinner, was the standout of the bowlers, finishing with 15 for 2 in four overs, while Sandhu had 2/40.

Brief Scores: Adelaide Strikers 6 for 184 (Cockbain 65, Short 39, T Sangha 2-15, Sandhu 2-40) beat Sydney Thunder 6 for 178 (J Sangha 61, Ross 56, Conway 2-33, Siddle 2-41) by six runs