Adelaide Strikers 169 for 2 (Weatherald 80*) beat Hobart Hurricanes 167 for 6 (Wright 37, Boyce 2-17) by eight wickets

Weatherald, at No.3 for the injured Chris Lynn, was unbeaten as the Strikers chased 168 with 25 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.

He smashed nine boundaries and five sixes at Blundstone Arena on Thursday night as he reached double figures for the first time in four games this season.

Weatherald treated Paddy Dooley with contempt and bowled the spinner for three fours and four sixes, including a maximum to end the game. Dooley finished with figures of 0 for 53 in 2.5 overs.

The result lifted Strikers from fifth to fourth in the standings with nine points, one ahead of Melbourne Stars. The Hurricanes remain sixth, three points off the top four with one game left.

“It’s probably the best I’ve ever batted,” he told Fox Cricket. “He was sitting there thinking he wasn’t going to play again this year.

“I got a call at 12 at night saying ‘you’re playing’ and I thought… ‘There’s nothing to lose, you better go out there and swing hard.’ It’s probably been a couple of years in the making. I’ve been working very hard.” tough in my T20 cricket.”

The forwards will be sweating over Lynn’s fitness for their final regular season game against Sydney Thunder on Sunday. Lynn, who retired with a tight hamstring, told the announcers that he had little chance of lining up against the Thunder.

The 33-year-old will not be available to play in the final as he will leave to play in the ILT20 competition.

It was the second time Boyce tormented the Hurricanes in three days, having gone 3-for-13 in a player-of-the-match performance in Tuesday’s victory.

Mac Wright top-scored for the Hurricanes with 37 off 27 balls before Boyce dismissed him in the 13th over due to a third umpire’s decision.

Tim David, who has struggled to get runs, hit a 10-ball 22 to give the Hurricanes a lift at the end of the innings. They welcomed back Matthew Wade from previous issues but he only managed 14 off 12 deliveries. The Hurricanes were slow to get out of the blocks, struggling to reach 68 for 2 after 10 overs.