Adelaide, Dec 31 (IANS) Adelaide Strikers’ opener Chris Lynn has achieved a significant milestone in the Big Bash League (BBL) by becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to cross the 4,000-run mark.

He reached this milestone in the 17th match of the ongoing 15th edition of the BBL, playing for the Strikers against Brisbane Heat here at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 122 runs, Lynn scored an unbeaten 41-ball 79 to help his side claim a seven-wicket victory.

Lynn smoked six fours and as many sixes while scoring at 192.68 as the Strikers sailed to a comfortable victory on New Year’s Eve. Lynn, in 131 BBL matches (129 innings) so far, has scored a total of 4,065 runs at an average of 36.29, including a century and 32 fifties, with the most recent one coming on Wednesday.

After holding the Heat to 121 all out in 19.4 overs, the Strikers cruised to victory with 35 balls to spare, powered by a dominant innings from Lynn.

The Heat suffered a dramatic collapse, slumping to 21 for five inside six overs. Jamie Overton (3-19), Liam Scott (2-12), and Hasan Ali (2-29) spearheaded the Strikers’ attack, with Scott bowling all four overs up front. Colin Munro, Jack Wildermuth, and Lachlan Hearne all chipped tamely to mid-off, while Matt Renshaw was run out and Max Bryant edged behind.

Jimmy Peirson’s dismissal left Brisbane reeling at 47 for six before Kuhnemann (31*) and Hugh Weibgen (28) added a brief resistance, putting on 36 for the eighth wicket. The recovery, however, proved insufficient as the Heat limped to 121, leaving Lynn to seal a comfortable Strikers victory.

The Strikers’ chase didn’t get off to an ideal start either. Early wickets fell as captain Matt Short (19), Mackenzie Harvey (11), and Jerriss Wadia (1) departed, but Brisbane Heat had no answer to Lynn.

The veteran opener etched his name into BBL history by becoming the competition’s first 4,000-run scorer, bringing up the milestone in style by launching Xavier Bartlett into the stands. Lynn went on to post his record-extending 32nd BBL half-century from 30 balls, finishing the chase with three consecutive sixes off Matthew Kuhnemann.

The win marked the Strikers’ first success in the marquee December 31 clash since 2018 and served as quick revenge for their seven-run defeat to Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday, ending a seven-year BBL New Year’s Eve drought.

–IANS

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