The Adelaide Strikers suffered a 33 run defeat at the hands of the Perth Scorchers in their first game of 2026 at Optus Stadium.
There were standout performances with the ball from Lloyd Pope and Strikers debutant Tabraiz Shamsi, who shared seven wickets between them.
After the Scorchers got off to a strong start, Shamsi claimed the first breakthrough, picking up the vital wicket of Mitchell Marsh. Three balls later, he picked up his second wicket, aided by a superb diving catch from Luke Wood. Shamsi finished with impressive figures of 3/30 from his four overs.
Pope kept the Scorchers in check, delivering a brilliant 4/23 from his four overs. His clean-bowled dismissal of Aaron Hardie stood out as one of the highlights of the innings.
Perth posted 8/153 by the end of their innings, leaving the Strikers in a solid position halfway through the match.
The Strikers’ batting effort was led by captain Matt Short, who fought hard for 31 off 21 balls before being dismissed. Liam Scott also made a valuable contribution, scoring 33 off 28, keeping the Strikers competitive.
However, the Strikers ultimately fell short of the target as the Scorchers secured a 33 run victory.
The Strikers now have a quick turnaround, taking on the Sydney Thunder at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, January 6.