A downpour ensured the bat flip was delayed by 20 minutes
Joel Paris has fallen short in his bid to prove his fitness for tonight’s KFC BBL|15 Final with both Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers naming unchanged XIs as they battle it out for this season’s title.
Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner won the bat flip and, in keeping with every game except one this season, opted to bowl despite both teams qualifying for the decider at Optus Stadium by winning their respective finals matches batting first. It was just the third time all season Turner has won the flip.
A passing showed delayed the bat flip by 20 minutes, but the first ball will go ahead as scheduled at 4.20pm local time (7.20pm AEDT).
Australian stars Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc headline the Sixers’ side, with the latter playing in his first BBL Final since BBL|01 when they defeated the Scorchers at the WACA Ground to claim the league’s inaugural championship.
Scorchers XI: Mitch Marsh, Finn Allen, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Aaron Hardie, Ashton Turner (c), Laurie Evans, Jhye Richardson, Brody Couch, David Payne, Mahli Beardman
Sixers XI: Steve Smith, Babar Azam, Josh Philippe (wk), Moises Henriques (c), Lachlan Shaw, Jack Edwards, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Ben Manenti, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc
Veteran opener Daniel Hughes retains his spot at the top of the order after scoring 13 off 10 balls when he replaced Babar Azam following the Pakistani’s departure from the tournament ahead of the Sixers’ win over Hobart in Friday’s Challenger.
Moises Henriques’ side have trekked back and forth across the country to secure their spot in the BBL|15 Final, which had them fly to Brisbane last weekend, Perth, Sydney and back to Perth in the space of eight days.
Henriques indicated he was going to bat first if he won the toss but the brief downpour changed their plans.
The match is the sixth time the Scorchers and Sixers have met in the BBL’s season finale, with tonight’s home side holding the advantage 3-2.
They are the two most successful clubs in the league’s 15-year history with the Scorchers gunning for an unprecedented sixth title and the Sixers a fourth.
Perth have won both meetings between the two sides this season, a rain-affected season opener and last Tuesday’s Qualifier, both at Optus Stadium.
The covers were on the pitch 20 minutes before the scheduled bat flip as a shower swept across Optus Stadium, but the toss went ahead 20 minutes later, and bureau’s radar looks relatively clear for the rest of the evening in Burswood.
A reserve day is scheduled for Monday (4.15pm local time) should a result not be possible today.
Paris, back with the club for the first time since BBL|10, was the Scorchers’ leading wicket-taker this season before being sidelined with a groin injury and will play his first game since January 7.
“This has been a priority for him,” captain Ashton Turner said on match eve. “Obviously, we’re halfway through the domestic summer but this is a game that he’s desperate to be a part of.
“This is probably the one bit of silverware that he hasn’t got in his trophy cabinet, and we saw the impact that he had for us in the first half of this campaign. He gives us the left-arm variety and he’s so versatile that he can take the new ball, he can bowl through the middle, he can bowl the Power Surge, and he can bowl the death.
“There’s not many bowlers that tick those boxes.”
The first ball of the BBL|15 Final is set for 4.20pm local time (7.20pm AEDT) with the Sixers looking for a first title since BBL|10 and the Scorchers seeking their first title since BBL|12 when young gun Cooper Connolly inspired an epic fightback.
BBL|15 finals schedule
Qualifier: Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers by 48 runs
Knockout: Hobart Hurricanes beat Melbourne Stars by three runs (DLS method)
Challenger: Sydney Sixers beat Hobart Hurricanes by 57 runs
Final: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, 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
