Big Bash League 2014-15: Jason Roy and Ryan ten Doeschate shine before rain forces abandonment

Jason Roy was cut off in his prime as rain forced the Big Bash clash between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder to be abandoned.

The Surrey batsman blazed 14no off six balls to propel the Thunder to 18-0 off one over in pursuit of their opponents’ 119-5 in a match already reduced to 10-overs-a-side.

With each team gaining a point, the second-placed Strikers are all but sure of securing a semi-final spot but the Thunder will have to win their final two games to have a chance of qualifying.

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The Strikers, put into bat, hit 10 sixes in their innings – the first coming off the second ball as Craig Simmons clubbed Jacques Kallis high over midwicket.

Josh Lalor should have struck with his first ball but Ahillen Beadle dropped Simmons on 11 at deep midwicket, however the left-arm seamer’s luck improved two balls later as Tim Ludeman feathered behind attempting to pull.

Kallis pulled off a superb catch on the boundary – throwing the ball up as he stepped over the rope before reclaiming it infield – to send back Jono Dean and when Simmons (21 off 15) chipped Chris Tremain to mid-off the Strikers were 42-3 off 5.2 overs.

Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate (23 off 12 balls) re-ignited the innings in a 33-run stand off just 10 balls with Travis Head, who blazed 18 off six balls.

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Ten Doeschate struck one of the sixes of the tournament so far when he pulled Tremain behind square leg before Head dragged Morgan on.

The very next ball – the first of Tremain’s new over - Ten Doeschate picked out Roy at midwicket to make it 75-5 but the run-rate didn’t slow as Alex Ross struck his first two balls for six.

Ross added another brace of maximums in the final over of the innings to take his tally to four sixes from 10 balls before Johan Botha finished the innings in style with another six, the pair taking 22 off the last over to improve their unbeaten partnership to 44 off 18 balls.

Watch Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat live from 8.30am on Sky Sports 2 on Tuesday, followed by David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd’s first match as a commentator in this year’s Big Bash on Wednesday when Sydney Sixers take on Adelaide Strikers from 8.30am on Sky Sports 2.