THE ADELAIDE Strikers have moved off the bottom of the Women’s Big Bash League ladder after defeating the Perth Scorchers by 30 runs yesterday.

Adelaide posted 6/169 from its 20 overs, before restricting Perth to only 8/139.

The Strikers’ openers got off to a great start, with Smriti Mandhana and Katie Mack making a partnership of 81 before the former was dismissed.

Unfortunately the next five partnerships equalled about as much combined as that first partnership by itself, but the strength of the start to the innings helped propel them to a very competitive score.

Mandhana and Mack both went on to make 41 runs each, but it was Laura Wolvaardt who top scored with 48, in an innings that included three fours and three sixes.

Meanwhile for the Scorchers Alana King was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Sophie Devine picked up two wickets and Chloe Ainsworth picked up one.

The Scorchers’ innings could not have gotten off to a worse start, falling to 1/0 on the second ball of the innings. They then fell to 2/13, then 3/13, and were then 4/17 halfway through the fourth over.

They finally got some stability in the innings with a 52 run fifth wicket partnership, but they were unable to maintain it as the rest of the innings consisted of an 11 run partnership, a one run partnership and a 46-run partnership.

Brooke Halliday was the pick of the Perth batters with 47, while Devine made 35 and King finished on 29 not out.

Meanwhile for the Strikers Megan Schutt picked up a trio of wickets, while Anesu Mushangwe and Amanda-Jade Wellington took two wickets and Tahlia McGrath took one.  

Despite winning two matches on the trot, the Strikers are still unlikely to make finals as they only have one match left. Perth meanwhile has two matches and is only one win off the top echelons of the ladder, but really needs to win both to have the best chance of making finals.