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Mohammad Nabi's 71 not out has carried the Melbourne Renegades to a much-needed Big Bash win over Adealaide Strikers with one ball to spare.
Mohammad Nabi has blasted the last-placed Melbourne Renegades to a thrilling six-wicket victory over the Adelaide Strikers, snapping their seven-game Big Bash losing streak.
Afghani Nabi made a BBL personal-best 71 not out as he carved up the Strikers' attack at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
With tremendous support from teenager Jake Fraser-McGurk (29 not out), he hauled in the home side's 7-177 with one delivery to spare.
Player-of-the-match Nabi and Fraser-McGurk took 16 from the 19th over from Peter Siddle, leaving five to win off Wes Agar's last over.
Fraser-McGurk sealed only his team second win of the season when he glanced Agar's fifth-ball full toss.
"Batting with Nabi is an unbelievable experience," 18-year-old Fraser-McGurk said.
"All the nerves seem to go away when you've got the job at hand.
"I couldn't ask for much more."
The chase started badly when skipper Aaron Finch (14) exited angrily after being adjudged lbw to Agar.
Finch felt he had edged the ball but slow-motion replays suggested his bat made contact with his pad.
Jack Prestwidge (14) could consider himself even more unfortunate.
He survived back-to-back lbw appeals from successive Rashid Khan wrong 'uns but when wrapped on the pads by the third googly, he was given his marching orders despite television replays confirming the ball was spinning down leg-side.
Nabi and Fraser-McGurk ignored the rising asking rate to combine for 68 enterprising, unbeaten runs after the Strikers looked strongly placed following their innings.
Phil Salt (59) and Alex Carey (42) pounded the visitors' attack before the hosts were curtailed by a late Renegades fightback.
Salt was circumspect early as Matt Renshaw (30) provided the early aggression - although there were no more fireworks between him and Kane Richardson following the duo's well-publicised slanging match on Tuesday.
Carey also started sedately before launching at Richardson in the power surge, crunching three huge sixes in the 14th over, which conceded 25.
But from the moment he spooned a catch the following over, the Strikers lost 6-41 in the last five overs, legspinner Peter Hatzoglou (3-43) and seamer Prestwidge (2-20) hauling the Renegades back into the match.
"We started really well but fell away at the back end," Salt said.
"Realistically we wanted a few more but you can't take credit away from Nabi.
"It was a well constructed knock from him."
