Opener Chris Gayle hit another half-century and his West Indies compatriot Fidel Edwards took two wickets, but their Sydney Thunder team lost by five wickets to Hobart Hurricanes in the Twenty20 Big Bash League yesterday.
Playing at Bellerive Oval, Jamaican Gayle top scored with 53 off only 33 balls in a total of 138 for eight off 20 overs after Sydney Thunder won the toss.
Left-hander Gayle’s innings contained five sixes and two fours before he was second out with the score 91 in the 14th over, after sharing a partnership of 53 in 7.5 overs with Sean Abbott, who made 39.
Barbadian fast bowler Edwards then bowled former Australia opener Phil Jaques without scoring in the third ball of the innings and also removed fellow opener Jonathan Wells for 29, but spurred by an unbeaten 41 of 32 balls with five boundaries from former England batsman Owais Shah, Hobart Hurricanes triumphed with eight balls to spare.
Edwards ended with two for 33 off four overs, while Gayle had a solitary over which cost 16 runs without taking a wicket.
On Friday, Gayle slammed 75 against Melbourne Renegades, who won by six runs.
The win was the fourth in as many matches for Hobart Hurricanes, who are at the top of the table on eight points. Sydney Thunder are on four points, also from four matches.
