Short goes big as Adelaide's ambition turns into reality

Adelaide Strikers accomplished the highest run chase in Big Bash League (BBL) history thanks to Matt Short, who marked his debut as skipper with a valiant first T20 century.

Short crushed Pakistan pacer Faheem Ashraf for back-to-back boundaries in the 20th over to raise his century and the Hurricanes' victory by seven wickets with three balls left. The Hurricanes had posted an impressive 229-4 on Thursday night.

Short made a century off 59 balls to mark his temporary appointment as captain when regular skipper Peter Siddle was out with a back injury.

After a rocky start, Short received two lives off Riley Meredith's bowling - Mitch Owen dropped the catch in the first ball, then Nathan Ellis missed a simple catch at 22, but Short still managed to make the Hurricanes pay.

Short and Chris Lynn (64) combined 124 runs off of 58 deliveries for the second wicket after the early departure of Ryan Gibson (five), making Adelaide's ambition a reality.

Before being dismissed by the outstanding spinner Paddy Dooley (2-25) during the power surge, Lynn hammered four sixes in his quick 29-ball innings.

When third umpire Eloise Sheridean ruled that Faheem's full-toss was over waist-height on run 20, English import Adam Hose, who had holed out to Tim David at mid-on, was given a reprieve.

Hose dutifully scored six runs off the free hit, one of the three maximums he hit in Faheem's over, which netted 22.

Hose ultimately fell for 38 before a struggling Faheem's even higher high full toss in the 20th over gave up another free hit and opened the door for Short to score.

Dooley's nasty left shoulder injury, which occurred while diving to stop a boundary in the 19th over, made the Hurricanes' already painful situation even worse. At the halfway point, it appeared that the Hurricanes were invincible.

The Hurricanes' record-breaking total was powered by half-centuries from Ben McDermott (57), Caleb Jewell (54), and Zak Crawley (54*).