Ferguson guides Thunder to 168 v Strikers

The Strikers will require a run rate of 8.45 for victory after Ferguson, who won the toss and elected to bat, walloped 73 off 46 balls to overtake Adelaide pair Alex Carey and Jon Wells and Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch to the top of the run-scoring leaderboard.

Ferguson combined for a 73-run second-wicket union with classy Usman Khawaja (63 off 50), who set an aggressive early tempo.

After losing England import Alex Hales (four) early, Khawaja smoked 31 of the Thunder's first 36 runs and looked largely untroubled.

It took a magnificent piece of fielding from Peter Siddle to send the left-hander packing.

Khawaja set off for a single after guiding Siddle to point where Wes Agar gathered and threw to the non-striker's end.

Siddle retrieved it with one hand and produced a no-look reverse flick that clipped the stumps, catching Khawaja short.

Ferguson upped the ante late, hitting an uncharacteristically expensive Rashid Khan (1-44) for back-to-back sixes before holing out to Wells in the deep before Siddle (2-30) produced a marvellous 20th over.

The recently-retired Test paceman skittled Alex Ross (19), trapped Daniel Sams lbw for his third consecutive duck and conceded only three runs.

Sidde's death-ball mastery will give the Strikers every chance of keeping the unbeaten record - in this summer's BBL and in New Year's Eve clashes - in tact.

Australian Associated Press