Strikers star shares fierce words with batsman over controversial mankad incident – as Scorchers secure victory in South Australia

The Perth Scorchers have finished 2024 in second position on the BBL ladder after cruising to a seven-wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers on New Year’s Eve.

There was a controversial moment in the second innings as Jamie Overton mankadded Scorchers batter Finn Allen. 

The latter appeared to step out of his crease as the English bowler ran in to deliver a ball to Cooper Connolly.

But realising Allen had stepped a yard outside of his crease, Overton removed the bails, but only as a warning.

Overton did not appeal the wicket, instead turning around to exchange some fierce words to the Scorchers batter, who was later bowled out by Brendan Doggett for 50. 

The pace bowler appeared infuriated by the batter who had been backing up a little too early.  

The pair appeared to exchange heated words with Overton pointing his finger at the Scorchers batter issuing a warning 

Overton did not appeal the wicket after Allen had been backing up outside of his wicket early

He was subsequently slogged for six by Connolly off the resulting ball. 

Had Overton appealed the decision there is a chance Allen could have been ruled out as his bat had not appeared to have been over the line when the bails on his stumps were removed. 

A record-breaking ninth-wicket stand between tailenders Brendan Doggett (47no) and Cameron Boyce (29no) spared the Strikers total humiliation in front of a bumper crowd of 41,624 at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday night, lifting them to 8-142.

But it wasn’t enough to stop resurgent Allen (50 off 23 balls), golden-bat leader Cooper Connolly (48no off 35 balls) and captain Ashton Turner (35no off 18 balls) from piloting the Scorchers to victory with 33 deliveries to spare.

The Perth reply, though, wasn’t without drama.

Matt Hurst was dropped twice before being pouched for three, and the Scorchers should have been 3-13 when Connolly, on four, edged Doggett to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope but only the bowler offered a muted appeal.

Allen, who came into the match with 10 runs from four digs, was grassed on 11 by Alex Ross before earning the ire of fiery Adelaide import Overton.

After Doggett castled Allen, captain Ashton Turner came in and finished the job by crunching Cameron Boyce for 6-6-4.

Earlier, the Strikers crashed to 8-58 before Doggett – whose previous best Twenty20 score was 10no – and Boyce became unlikely batting allies.

Jhye Richardson, recalled to the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test against India, bolstered his hopes for selection in the upcoming Sydney match taking three wickets 

Allan bashed his way to a half-century, the highest individual score of the match to help the Scorchers win by seven wickets 

Only D’Arcy Short (22) and Ross (20) – filling in as skipper for injured Matt Short, who suffered a fractured toe against the Hobart Hurricanes last Friday – reached double figures for Adelaide before Doggett and Boyce’s resurrection job.

Pope (1) and Chris Lynn (1) went cheaply before Jake Weatherald (8) fell to a stunning one-handed catch by Andrew Tye, launching himself skyward at mid-off.

Jhye Richardson, recalled to the Australian squad for the recently completed Boxing Day Test against India, bolstered his hopes for selection in the upcoming Sydney match taking three wickets.

The paceman had Overton prodding a leading edge to Ashton Agar at backward point, then cleaned up Liam Scott with a superb yorker next ball.

The Strikers, who lost 6-18 in 30 balls, were rescued by Doggett and Boyce who combined for an unbroken 84-run union, the best-ever for the penultimate wicket.

Pace trio Richardson (3-29), Jason Behrendorff (2-14) and Lance Morris (2-19) were the chief destroyers with the ball for the visitors, whose only concern came when Agar left the field with back spasms.