Captain Alex Carey has played a lone half-century hand as the Adelaide Strikers set Perth Scorchers 147 runs to win the New Year's Eve BBL clash.
Carey made 82 of his side's 9-146 at Adelaide Oval against a Scorchers side seeking their first win of the tournament.
Carey struck a dozen fours and a six in his 59-ball knock but Matt Renshaw (19) and Danny Briggs (10) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
Perth's pace attack stifled the Strikers, with Jhye Richardson (3-19), Aaron Hardie (2-21) and Andrew Tye (1-35) among the wicket-takers.
The Strikers lost opening pair Phil Salt (four) and Jake Weatherald (six) after 15 balls to deny the home side any early momentum.
Renshaw and Carey steadied with a 48-run stand before Adelaide again stumbled.
Renshaw (19 from 17 balls) became Hardie's second wicket in the ninth over and Jon Wells made just two before being run out in the next over.
The Strikers were 4-75 at the midway point of the innings but soon lost Matt Short (six), Rashid Khan (eight) and Daniel Worrall (one) to slip to 7-114.
Carey smacked 16 runs from a Tye over when Fawad Ahmed gave him a reprieve, dropping the simplest of catching chances at backward point.
But the Strikers' skipper was out in the next over, the 19th, giving the impressive Richardson his third wicket.
