Allround Agar lifts Scorchers to the top of the table

Ashton Agar's all-round performance set up Perth Scorchers's six-wicket victory against Adelaide Strikers at Traeger Park in Alice Springs on Saturday (January 13), helping the Western Australia-based team regain the top spot in the process.

Agar finished with fine figures of 3 for 19 from his four overs and was complemented well by Matthew Kelly and Tim Bresnan, who picked up two wickets apiece, to help restrict Strikers to 112. Scorchers were in a spot of bother in the chase, reduced to 43 for 4. But Hilton Cartwright (47*) and Agar (26*) came to their team's rescue with an unbeaten 71-run stand for the sixth wicket to help their side over the line with 1.4 overs to spare.

Opting to bowl, Scorchers had to wait until after the powerplay for their first wicket as Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald were involved in a solid 49-run opening stand. But Weatherald's departure in the seventh over was followed by Colin Ingram's dismissal in the eighth as Agar picked up his first wicket.

Agar went on to account for the wickets of Jake Lehmann and Jonathon Dean while Kelly, who was bowling in tandem with Agar, sent back Carey and Michael Neser to leave Strikers at 92 for 6 in the 16th over. The flurry of wickets did not cease as Bresnan added a couple of wickets to his name to wrap up the innings in the final over.

Scorchers' openers were watchful at the start of the chase but their circumspect approach didn't materialise into anything big as both fell to Neser in successive overs. Having managed only 28 in the powerplay, Scorchers suffered another setback a short while later as Cameron Bancroft failed in his attempt to heave a Peter Siddle delivery, handing a catch to mid-wicket. At the other end, Rashid Khan was in the middle of an economical spell and foxed Ashton Turner with a googly which left Scorchers four down.

With Scorchers in need of resurrection, Cartwright and Agar cut out any risks at the start of their partnership, content to rotate the strike while capitalising on the loose deliveries. Billy Stanlake was guilty of erring in his line and length in the 12th over and ended up conceding a couple of fours, one each for Cartwright and Agar, the first time both these batsmen found the ropes.

Cartwright then added a couple of sixes to his tally, making sure to take the maximum toll when Siddle bowled a short delivery and a full toss. Even as Rashid finished his miserly spell with figures of 1 for 15, runs came pretty easily at the other end as Cartwright provided the finishing touches with a four off Neser.

Brief scores: Adelaide Strikers 112 in 19.2 overs (Alex Carey 44; Ashton Agar 3-19, Matthew Kelly 2-13) lost to Perth Scorchers 114/4 in 18.2 overs (Hilton Cartwright 47*, Ashton Agar 26*; Michael Neser 2-18) by 6 wickets.