Big Bash League: Adelaide Strikers star Chris Lynn becomes first player in competition to reach 4000 runs

Chris Lynn became the first batter in Big Bash League history to reach 4000 runs on New Year’s Eve — and the Adelaide Strikers master blaster brought up the milestone in some style.

Lynn clubbed a brilliant 79 not out from only 41 deliveries to lead the Strikers to a dominant seven-wicket win over his former side Brisbane Heat in one of the competition’s marquee fixtures.

He crossed the 4000-run mark in trademark fashion by belting Xavier Bartlett over mid-wicket and into the crowd, which was one of six sixes he smashed on the night.

Lynn has compiled 4065 runs over 131 BBL games, sitting well clear of Aaron Finch (3311 runs) and Glenn Maxwell (3282) as the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer.

He debuted for Brisbane in the franchised iteration of the BBL’s very first game and became a breakout star of its early years, smashing Shaun Tait onto the roof of the Gabba in 2014 in one of the competition’s most famous moments.

After some years of diminishing returns as he battled a chronic shoulder injury, he split with the Heat in acrimonious circumstances in 2022 and has remained one of the league’s leading batters since joining the Strikers.

Speaking after the win over the Heat, Lynn said he reflected fondly on reaching 4000 runs.

“A lot of people say personal accolades, that’s not what they play for, but the position that I bat in, if I score runs and hit sixes, the team generally does well,” Lynn told Fox Cricket.

“It does mean a lot. I do want to thank the Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers over 15 years of Big Bash Cricket, it’s been absolutely outstanding.

“Hopefully I’ve still got plenty left in the tank.”

Lynn had scored only 31 runs across his first three games of the season but exploded into form against the Heat, which he jokingly credited to ending to a seven-week span without alcohol.

“I actually had a drink the other night because I wasn’t scoring any runs, so maybe that’s the key,” he said.

“We only get one crack at this and I’m pretty privileged to be able to walk out on New Year’s Eve in front of a packed house at Adelaide Oval for Adelaide Strikers. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Adelaide moved into the top four on the back of their win over Brisbane, with their next test set to come in the form of an imposing road trip to take on Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

After finishing at the bottom of the ladder last season, the Tim Paine-coached Strikers have completely re-shaped their line-up, with England’s Luke Wood and Pakistan’s Hassan Ali coming in to complete an all-international seam attack with all-rounder Jamie Overton.

Lynn said he was confident his side had “the right balance” to return to the finals.

“The boys are dialled in, we’re locked in, we’re ready for a big campaign. I feel over the last couple of years, our depth hasn’t quite been there . . . but I think we’ve got the right mix,” he said.