Hobart captain Matthew Wade has blasted the Hurricanes into the BBL finals, spearheading his side to a tense 10-run victory over the Strikers at Adelaide Oval on Australia Day.
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Wade smoked 130 off 61 balls - the second-highest score in BBL history - to catapult the Hurricanes to 1-217 on Sunday before the Strikers replied valiantly with 8-207.
Welshman Phil Salt rode his luck with a typically swashbuckling 66 off 33 balls to get the reply rollicking after the early departure of Jake Weatherald (2).
Salt was grassed twice - a sitter by George Bailey off the innings' second ball and on 44 by D'Arcy Short on the midwicket rope - before Short made amends, snaring the aggressive opener in the deep.
Captain Travis Head overcame a scratchy start to post 47 before inside-edging Scott Boland onto his back leg and dislodging his off bail.
Jon Wells (15) was bowled behind his legs by spinner Clive Rose (2-16) and Rashid Khan (6) was trapped lbw by Nathan Ellis.
After Alex Carey (39) holed out in the second last over, the Strikers' task of 22 off the last over proved a bridge too far.
"We did well in the chase, hung in there nice and late, but on the day a couple of outstanding knocks just took it away from us," Salt said.
"They've had a pretty outstanding night to come to our place and beat us."
Earlier, Wade and Short (72) combined for a brutal 203-run first-wicket stand, second only to the unconquered 207 put on by Melbourne Stars pair Marcus Stoinis and Hilton Cartwright a fortnight ago against the Sydney Sixers.
Wade's magnificent maiden Twenty20 ton was second the second best score in the competition's history to Stoinis' 147no against the Sixers.
"To bat with Wadey at the other end and watch him get his first (T20) hundred was pretty special," Short said.
"It got a bit tight there at the end.
"But the boys pulled through and it's exciting to be in the finals."
With their third-straight win, the Hurricanes will finish fourth or fifth, depending on the outcome of Monday's clash between the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane.
A Heat win will result in a Brisbane-Hobart fourth-versus-fifth eliminator on Thursday at the Gabba, while a Renegades victory will mean the Hurricanes will host the Sydney Thunder in the sudden-death final.
The third-placed Strikers will host the winner of that eliminator in Saturday's knockout final at Adelaide Oval.
Australian Associated Press
