Agree, ghs.
Amazing finish!
What a match?!?!
The atmosphere at AO last night was fantastic, the fans treated to an exciting finish, fireworks, entertainment, flashing blue glasses lighting up the Oval and even a special NYE zing!
The final few overs were exhilarating as, against the odds, Travis Head piled on the sixes (56 runs off his last 15 balls:
4,6,4,6,6,1,0,2,2,6,0,1,6,6,6),
finishing with a gutsy above the head (almost unplayable bouncer) SIX to complete his century (101 not out and MOTM) and win the match for the Adelaide Strikers (5/182) with just 3 balls to spare.
And the Adelaide Strikers WBBL team made it a winning double, defeating the higher placed Perth Scorchers in the earlier match.
The Strikers looked gone, needing 51 runs off the last 18 balls - a seemingly impossible task! But they scored 56 off 15, with Head cleverly maintaining the strike to score the lot! And the crowd went ballistic as each 6 made the task a greater possibility.
Pic of special zing via @BBL:
http://twitter.com/BBL/status/682470513 ... 17/video/1
Social media was on fire with massive number of tweets and photos. Huge interest in Australia, England and India in particular.
As mentioned previously, I have been recording official BBL attendances for each venue.
Adelaide Oval holds the record to date to date.
Updated Big Bash League attendance 2015:
17/12 - 18,287 Spotless Thunder / Sixers
18/12 - 27,611 AO Strikers / Stars
19/12 - 26,245 Gabba Renegades / Heat
20/12 - 20,072 SCG Sixers / Hurricanes
20/12 - 18,809 MCG Stars / Thunder
21/12 - 20,553 WACA Scorchers / Strikers
22/12 - 14,848 (record domestic) Blundstone Hurricanes / Heat
23/12 - 20,850 Etihad Renegades / Sixers
26/12 - 19,225 WACA Scorchers / Heat
27/12 - 29,104 SCG Sixers / Stars
28/12 - 21,500 Spotless Thunder / Strikers
29/12 - 29,876 Gabba Heat / Hurricanes
30/12 - 26,787 Etihad Renegades / Scorchers
31/12 - 46,389 AO Strikers / Sixers
Last year's AO NYE 31/12/14 (43,288).
Record BBL crowd so far - 24/1/15 Semi (52,663) attendances at AO will be hard to beat!
.... But Melbourne is looking to smash this attendance record, urging Victorians to come out in droves to watch the Melbourne BBL derby - Stars v Renegades at the MCG on Saturday, 2/1/2016.
Melbourne derby on track to set domestic T20 record crowd:
The biggest crowd the Stars and Renegades have drawn together so far is 46,581, which came in BBL02, back on January 6, 2013 at the MCG.
SMH:
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/big ... lwzp7.html
Two Melbourne teams, a Saturday in prime holiday time, bigger stadium, larger population....
Some links to browse for anyone interested.
Adelaide Strikers' match report:
http://www.adelaidestrikers.com.au/news ... 2015-12-31
Photo of Travis Head celebrating the winning shot via @cricknews365
http://twitter.com/CricNews365/status/6 ... 24/photo/1
BBL video: Alex Ross flies for catch of the summer:
http://www.bigbash.com.au/news/alex-ros ... 2015-12-31
BBL video: highlights of Head's 53 ball ton:
http://www.bigbash.com.au/video#videoId=4680865698001
BBL video: all 9 of Travis Head's sixes:
http://www.bigbash.com.au/video#videoId=4680865700001
WBBL match report:
http://www.cricket.com.au/news/match-re ... 2015-12-31
SA / Adelaide Oval Proud.....
Take a bow, beautiful Adelaide Oval, courageous Travis Head, awesome Strikers' team and officials, organizers, entertainers and the magnificent 46k+ crowd.