Adelaide Strikers secured a 15-run victory over Melbourne Stars at Adelaide Oval in the Big Bash League (BBL), with D'Arcy Short stepping up in his late inclusion to the squad and legspinner Lloyd Pope making a strong comeback.

Short, who was originally not part of the playing XI, was called up after Chris Lynn was sidelined with a calf niggle. He made an immediate impact, scoring 60 runs off 42 balls, anchoring the Strikers' total of 165 for 6. Alex Ross provided valuable support, contributing 35 runs off 26 balls, while the rest of the Strikers' lineup struggled to find consistency.

In response, Melbourne Stars made a spirited attempt to chase down the target, finishing on 150 for 9. Opener Sam Harper was the standout for the Stars, top-scoring with 48 runs off 44 balls. However, key players such as Marcus Stoinis (27 off 19) and Glenn Maxwell (15 off 5) were unable to make significant contributions, and the Stars fell short.

Strikers' spin trio proved to be the difference, taking four of the first five wickets and a total of six wickets. Pope, who had suffered a tough outing in Strikers' opening loss to Sydney Thunder, redeemed himself with a brilliant 3 for 21. He took the crucial wicket of Harper and was well-supported by fellow legspinner Cameron Boyce (1 for 31) and fingerspinner Matthew Short (2 for 23).

Maxwell, playing his first BBL match of the season, seemed poised to take control after reverse-sweeping two sixes off Boyce, but his innings was cut short when paceman Henry Thornton (1 for 16) trapped him lbw. Thornton's performance was a perfect complement to the Strikers' dominant spin attack.

One of the highlights of the match came when Englishman Ben Duckett took a stunning leaping catch at extra cover to dismiss D'Arcy Short. Unfortunately for Duckett, it was one of the few bright moments for him, as he was dismissed for a golden duck in his next outing, caught lbw off the third ball by Matthew Short.

The Strikers' victory was a strong response to their opening defeat and set the tone for a promising BBL campaign.