The Sixers will get a second shot at the Final in Friday’s Challenger, where they will face the Stars or the Hurricanes
Twenty-year-old tearaway Mahli Beardman has sparked a remarkable Perth Scorchers fightback as season’s top-ranked side sealed their spot in the KFC BBL|15 Final.
Not even a solo act from Australian star Steve Smith could stop Beardman (3-20) bringing more than 30,000 Scorchers fans to life as his three wickets also secured hosting rights for next Sunday’s decider at Optus Stadium.
Set 148 to win the Qualifier after a superb bowling effort restricted the Scorchers’ powerful batting line-up on their home deck, the Sixers run chase began disastrously as Cooper Connolly had Pakistan star Babar Azam stumped second ball.
Beardman, playing his first Big Bash finals match, then tilted the Qualifier in the Scorchers’ favour with a double strike in the fourth over to send Josh Philippe (13) and Sixers skipper Moises Henriques (2) packing.
The right-armer, who on Monday was named in Australia’s T20 squad to tour Pakistan next week, hurried the Sixers batters with his pace, consistently pushing above 140kph to have Philippe and Henriques skying balls into the infield.
But his crowning moment came when he secured the prized scalp of Smith (37) to snub out the Sixers’ hopes as the opener picked out David Payne at fine leg, leaving the visitors 6-74 with 74 runs still to get.
A comical ninth-wicket run out then summed up the Sixers’ batting effort as Sean Abbott’s bat plugged in the turf on the side of the pitch coming back for a second run.
Jhye Richardson (1-20) claimed the final wicket of Ben Dwarshuis to end the 15th over and clinch a commanding 48-run win as the Sixers were bowled out for 99.
It meant the early work of left-armers Dwarshuis and Mitchell Starc went in vain after they’d helped restrict the home side to 9-147 from their 20 overs.
“Maybe the occasion got to us chasing,” Henriques said post-match.
“We were trying to possibly win the game too quickly. It felt like that, especially for our top order batters, myself included.
“We didn’t really have to do anything too ridiculous, but I felt like we kept inviting the Scorchers into the game with some of the decision making, particularly early on in the innings.”
In typical Starc fashion, the superstar quick – playing his first Big Bash finals match since BBL|03 – struck in his first over to remove Australian teammate Mitch Marsh after Sixers skipper Moises Henriques opted to bowl in sweltering 39C heat.
Marsh sliced a drive uppishly to backward point to perish for five, making it fourth time in the past seven instances playing against Starc that he’d been dismissed by him.
His Scorchers’ opening partner Finn Allen got the home side’s innings rolling with four sixes in his 49 from 30 balls, setting a new benchmark for the most sixes in a single BBL season with 37.
One of those was a ramp over the sightscreen from a 145kph Starc thunderbolt, while another was an 80m strike off the back foot over cover off Ben Dwarshuis.
But the Scorchers momentum stalled when he chopped on to the left-armer next ball as Sixers allrounders Jack Edwards (2-25) and Sean Abbott (0-24) put the squeeze on through the middle overs.
Starc (2-32) struck again to remove Aaron Hardie (17), as did Dwarshuis (2-23) who picked up the dangerous Laurie Evans cheaply before he’d had an opportunity to take the Power Surge.
Off-spinning allrounder Ben Manenti, into the side for England star Sam Curran who has departed the tournament for international duties, also chipped in with the wicket of Cooper Connolly who was sharply caught by Babar Azam at backward point.
A hedge fire around the perimeter of Optus Stadium briefly halted the Sixers charge as Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner (29) and Jhye Richardson (20) boosted their total late to set up an enthralling chase.
In the end, it proved far too many for the Sixers who will now head home to Sydney tomorrow for a second crack at reaching the Final when they host the winner of the Hurricanes-Stars Knockout clash at the SCG on Friday night.
Tickets for both Friday’s Challenger at the SCG and Sunday’s Final at Optus Stadium will go on sale on Wednesday at 10am local venue time for members and midday for the general public.
BBL|15 finals schedule
Qualifier: Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers by 48 runs
Knockout: Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars, Ninja Stadium (Wednesday, January 21, 7.30pm AEDT)
Challenger: Sydney Sixers v winner of Knockout, SCG (Friday, January 23, 7.15pm AEDT)
Final: Perth Scorchers v winner of Challenger, Optus Stadium (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
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
SCO
10
7
3
0
0
1.363
0
14
2
SIX
10
6
3
0
1
0.605
0
13
3
HUR
10
6
3
0
1
0.331
0
13
4
STA
10
6
4
0
0
0.759
0
12
5
HEA
10
5
5
0
0
-0.431
0
10
6
STR
10
4
6
0
0
-0.231
0
8
7
REN
10
3
7
0
0
-1.202
0
6
8
THU
10
2
8
0
0
-1.212
0
4
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
