Wade's monster ton fires Hurricanes into BBL finals

The match in a tweet: Wade's record knock in Adelaide Oval run-fest lifts Hurricanes into finals contention as Strikers stumble and forfeit BBL|09 double-chance

The score: Hobart Hurricanes 1-217 (Wade 130no, Short 72, Neser 1-26) defeated Adelaide Strikers (Salt 66, Head 47, Carey 39, Rose 2-16) by 10 runs.

The hero: Matthew Wade's unbeaten 130 from 61 balls would have been remarkable under any normal circumstance, but with his team's season on the line it was as timely as it was terrific.

Wade smashed 11 boundaries and seven sixes to post the highest individual total by a Hurricanes batter (eclipsing opening partner D'Arcy Short's 122 not out against Brisbane Heat in BBL07), and the second-biggest in BBL history behind Marcus Stoinis' 147 not out a fortnight ago.

Having crunched the second ball of the innings to the mid-wicket rope, Wade reached his half-century from 24 deliveries (with seven fours and a six) and his century from a further 24, with his second 50 featuring just two more boundaries but an additional four blows beyond the rope.

But more importantly, it meant Hobart had set the more-fancied Strikers a target unprecedented at the Adelaide Oval in their quest to keep their season alive.

The support act: In most previous matches of BBL|09, D'Arcy Short's 72 from 55 balls at the top of the order would have constituted a potentially match-winning knock.

Yet Short, who has returned to the Hurricanes line-up after national duties in India, happily took on the support role in the 203-run opening stand with Wade. That was best illustrated by the fact Short reached his half-century from the same number of deliveries (48) as it took Wade to post his ton.

The over: When Billy Stanlake took the ball for the eighth over of Hobart's batting blitz, Matthew Wade had already blasted 40 from 21 balls and was flying.

Stanlake's radar was badly astray, and in addition to the two sixes and a boundary Wade helped himself to, the big quick sent down three wides. To round out a miserable over, he had Wade (then 57 off 25) dropped by Jon Wells scampering to his left on the deep backward square leg boundary.

The consolation effort: English import Phil Salt made a slow start to BBL|09 with three single-figure scores in his first three outings for the Strikers. He should have added another tonight when George Bailey dropped a sitter when Salt was four.

But the right-hander maximised the reprieve, and reached 50 from one fewer delivery (25) than did Wade earlier in the day.

He was dropped again – by Short at deep mid-wicket – on 44, but his chance to emulate Wade's hundred was lost when Short held a catch in the same position four overs later.

The drop (No.1): Jon Wells is usually as reliable in the outfield as he is with bat in hand, though the chance that Wade offered on 57 from the bowling of Stanlake was anything but straightforward.

But having made good ground to his left, the ball spilled from his usually safe grasp as he slid on his knees. It would be a further 10 overs, and 113 runs for the Hurricanes, before the Strikers seized their solitary breakthrough.

The drop (No.2): Denied a hit in what could have been his final match, George Bailey was in the action early when Strikers opener Phil Salt (on four) sliced the second delivery he faced from James Faulkner to the former Test batter at backward point.

But no sooner had the ball looped gently into Bailey's hands than it bobbled out. As the soon-to-be national selector conceded soon after, it had neither spun, dipped, nor came faster than he expected.

"Sometimes they stick, sometimes they don't," Bailey offered, with a smile.

The blow: Wes Agar had delivered the best set of deliveries for the Strikers' bowling effort – four consecutive dot balls to an increasingly frustrated Short – when the Hurricanes opener belted another attempted yorker back at the bowler.

Agar leapt to escape the ball's path but it smashed into his right knee cap and he collapsed in agony on the pitch. He received medical treatment for several minutes before being able to send down the final delivery – which cost just a single.

The stat: While Wade's individual brilliance was worthy of the Australia Day fireworks that followed the match, his opening partnership with Short added to an even more remarkable streak.

The pair's 203-run union might have been the second-highest first-wicket stand in BBL history, but considering they chased 158 without loss on their previous visit to the Strikers home turf last year, that lifted their alliance to 361 before Adelaide finally managed to get one of them out.

The next stop: By dint of their boosted net run rate, Hobart have confirmed a finals berth and are now eyeing a home final if Brisbane Heat fall to bottom-placed Melbourne Renegades in the ultimate minor-round match on Monday night.

Having squandered the second chance they would have earned with a win, Adelaide Strikers now wait to host the winner of next Thursday's Eliminator (between fourth and fifth) – which might mean a re-match with the Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval.

Adelaide Strikers XI: Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald, Travis Head (capt), Alex Carey (wk), Jon Wells, Matt Short, Michael Neser, Rashid Khan, Peter Siddle, Wes Agar, Billy Stanlake

Hobart Hurricanes XI: D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (capt), Mac Wright, David Miller, Ben McDermott (wk), George Bailey, James Faulkner, Clive Rose, Nathan Ellis, Qais Ahmad, Scott Boland 

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