Adelaide Strikers opener Michael Klinger to miss match against Perth with injury Michael Klinger will miss the match against Perth Strikers. ALREADY under pressure, the Adelaide Strikers' batting depth will be tested even further with Michael Klinger set to miss Thursday's crucial BBL clash against the Perth Scorchers at the WACA. Scans yesterday revealed the star opener suffered a minor hamstring strain in last week's loss to the Melbourne Stars, the Strikers conceding it is "unlikely" he will be able to get up for the next contest. The team is hopeful that Klinger will recover in time the next home game against the Brisbane Heat on Saturday. Klinger has been the form batsman for the Strikers this tournament, currently the fifth-highest run-scorer in the competition with 205 runs at an average of 68.33. That is 96 runs clear of the next best Adelaide player - English opener Alex Hales, who has 109 runs at 21.8. Strikers coach Darren Berry knows the loss of Klinger will hurt his side. "Maxy Klinger has consistently been our shining light with the bat so far in BBL03 and no doubt we will miss his run making ability at the top of the order," Berry said. While we are obviously disappointed for Maxy, this is a great opportunity for another batsman to step up and stake their claim in the team. After two poor performances with the bat, the Strikers need their top order to fire to stop them suffering a third-straight defeat and remain in the hunt the semi-finals. Crafty batsman Callum Ferguson, who was left out of the team that played the Stars, is in line for a recall, while Canberra's Jono Dean is another possible replacement. Captain Johan Botha will train with the squad this morning in a bid to prove his fitness for the game against the Scorchers after breaking his thumb on New Year's Eve. If Botha is right, it means his injury replacement, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, will miss out with only two internationals allowed to play for each team under the BBL rules.