Big Bash League match called off due to bad air quality

Sydney captain Callum Ferguson was upset at being stranded four balls away from victory with his side already past the five-over target.

Canberra: Big Bash League's match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers had to call off over "dangerous and unreasonable playing conditions" on Saturday here at Canberra.

Chasing 162, Thunder lost its skipper in the vert first over as Usman Khawaja (0) was sent back to the pavilion by Billy Stanlake. Alex Hales and Callum Ferguson then got together and stitched a partnership of 40 runs.

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With Thunder's score at 40/1 from 4.2 overs, the match was stopped due to bad air quality and smoke.

DLS method says that in a 20-over match, a minimum of five overs needs to be bowled to force a result. But the situation at the ground was so bad, that the umpire Paul Wilson had to say: "I understand that the Thunder have four balls to go. We can't take that into consideration. It's about air quality. We would not have started (the match) like this".

Earlier, Jonathon Wells' knock of 55 runs enabled Adelaide Strikers to post a total of 161/5 in the allotted twenty overs.

Strikers got off to the worst start possible as the side lost its opening two wickets with just eight runs on the board. Phil Salt (0) and Matthew Short (7) both failed to leave a mark.

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Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey then put on a 60-run stand to retrieve the innings for the side, but their stint at the crease was ended by Daniel Sams in the 11th over as he dismissed Weatherald (42), reducing Strikers to 68/3.

Carey and Wells then put on a 54-run stand and took the team's score past the 120-run mark. Thunder managed to take two wickets, but Wells ensured that Strikers go past the 160-run mark.