Fresh faces to add new chapter to BBL’s fiercest rivalry

The Big Bash may have local derbies and smashes but neither of those compare to the high-stakes rivalry built by Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers across the league’s 15 seasons.

Such has been the dominance of the two clubs who share eight titles between them (Scorchers five, Sixers three), that when they meet there’s usually more on the line than just cross-city bragging rights.

That’s again the case tonight at Optus Stadium where a spot in the KFC BBL|15 Final is up for grabs after the Scorchers (first) and Sixers (second) again finished the regular season ahead of the pack.

Perth are comfortably ahead 18-12 in the head-to-head, and they also boast a superior 6-3 record when the two sides have clashed in BBL finals.

“It’s good question, everyone is looking for a recipe for success and here in Perth and the Sixers over east, we’ve been able to continuously challenge for titles,” Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner said on the eve of tonight’s Qualifier.

“We meet again in what’s going to be a really big game in the context of this season. It’s exciting, there’s history, which makes for great build ups to contests, and I think it’s going to be a great game.”

On only four occasions in the league’s history has the men’s season decider not featured either the Scorchers, Sixers or both (BBL|05, |07, |08 and |14), the most recent of those being last summer when Perth missed the finals for just the third time and the Sixers were knocked out by their Sydney rivals the Thunder.

But having identified the ageing profile of their list, particularly among their fast bowlers, the Scorchers refreshed their playing roster and invested in their future with immediate success to bounce back in BBL|15.

Finals hero from the last time Perth won the BBL, Cooper Connolly, has been given more responsibility with the ball this season, taking the new ball with his left-arm spinners in six of 10 games, including each of their past three, and delivering with five first-over wickets.

Twenty-year-old tearaway Mahli Beardman, yesterday named in Australia’s T20 squad to tour Pakistan next week, has played nine games for a return of eight wickets, and has frequently been tasked with bowling the tough Power Surge or death overs, or to the opposition’s best batters, as was the case when he took down Aussie Test star Alex Carey with a well-disguised slower ball.

West Australian and former Melbourne Stars quick Brody Couch has also been given regular opportunities in his first season with the Scorchers, while the returns of experienced fast bowlers Jhye Richardson from shoulder surgery and Joel Paris from the Stars has covered the loss of club greats Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye.

“In white-ball cricket in Western Australia, it’s been one of our challenges that we’ve had some really consistent performers over the best part of the last decade,” Turner said. “While that’s won us a lot of trophies and had its own successes, the flip side of that is it’s been difficult to get games into guys who have been on the fringes of our squad.

“So to be able to start to get some games into a quality cricketer in Mahli is going to be good for his long-term development, but it’s also been good for our team.

“For him to have played nine games this season, we’ve seen him take on added responsibility in the Power Surge, we’ve seen him bowling tough overs at the back end and we’ve seen him bowling to the best batters in the competition and be a real threat.

“He’s skillful, he’s got ball speed when he needs it and he’s a confident kid, and they’re the traits of really successful bowlers at this level.”

Then there’s the luxury of having Australia’s T20 skipper Mitch Marsh available for the entire season, who has hit full flight alongside Kiwi blaster Finn Allen to form a formidable opening duo, with both having hit more than 300 runs along with a century this campaign.

Allrounder Aaron Hardie (317) has also passed 300 runs for the season with Turner (212) and Connolly (197) not far behind.

“Having two allrounders in our top order, Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly, reliably be able to get through three or four overs each, that gives us a luxury of being able to pick another batter if we wanted to really lengthen our batting, gives us the opportunity to play another fast bowler if we decided we wanted to bowl 20 overs of seam, and it gives us a luxury to play a spinner if we want to go down that path,” Turner said.

“So we feel like we’ve got some flexibility because of those two allrounders in the batting unit.”

The Sixers also changed the dynamic of their roster for BBL|15 to ensure their biggest stars would be sticking around deep into finals. Babar Azam replaced overseas stalwart James Vince at the top of the order and has been available for the entire season, while Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc have provided a world-class injection in the second half of the tournament following the Ashes.

And while England allrounder Sam Curran’s stint was brief due to international commitments, his impact was telling with five wickets in three games and an unbeaten 53 against Brisbane Heat sealing their finals spot.

“(Smith) has just come off a huge series in the Ashes and he’s come in (to the Sixers) and it’s like this is just as big for him,” teammate Sean Abbott said after their win over the Heat.

“We’re really fortunate and grateful to have him and ‘Starcy’ as well, he bowled the house down again (with four wickets against the Heat). Coming off five Tests in a row, usually you’d say there’s a bit of a come down after a big series like that, but the boys have stepped up again and they’re putting it all on the line for us.

“It’s (also) been really pleasing to see guys like Lachy Shaw get a chance; he’s played well in the last few games and we saw in a huge moment (against the Heat) he went out there and played a really good innings (17 off 12) with Sammy Curran.”

Having started slower in BBL|15 than previous seasons when they dropped their opening two games, including a rain-affected season opener to the Scorchers at Optus Stadium, the Sixers enter the playoffs stage as the form side after winning their past five completed matches.

“I love playing at Optus, it’s an unbelievable venue and great pitch,” Abbott said. “I feel like it offers a bit for everyone in the game and it’s a great crowd to play in front of.

“Everyone says it, but these are the moments you play cricket for; we’re going away but we’re going to be playing in front of probably what’s going to be a packed home crowd against a very good cricket team with plenty of international experience.

“And they’re in good form.

“That’s exactly the situation (we) want to be at the end of the season if (we’re) not playing at home ourselves.”

BBL|15 finals schedule

Qualifier: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, Optus Stadium (Tuesday, January 20, 7.30pm AEDT)

Knockout: Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars, Ninja Stadium (Wednesday, January 21, 7.30pm AEDT)

Challenger: Loser of Qualifier v winner of Knockout, TBC (Friday, January 23, 7.15pm AEDT)

Final: Winner of Qualifier v winner of Challenger, TBC (Sunday, January 25, 7.15pm AEDT)

*A reserve day on Monday, January 26 (7.15pm AEDT) is available for the Final

KFC BBL|15 standings