On January 25, 2026, the league’s most successful team became even better.
One month ago today, 55,018 people saw the Perth Scorchers claim a record-breaking sixth BBL title at Optus Stadium in a performance demonstrating that once again, west really is best.
Having now made the BBL finals on twelve of a possible fifteen occasions, including reaching nine finals for half a dozen trophies, the Scorchers have built their legacy off the back of developing promising local players, complemented with talented and respected internationals.
It’s a formula their coach Adam Voges is familiar with, having now been involved in every Scorchers masterpiece. Reflecting on BBL|15, Voges said it had been a season where everything had come together perfectly for Perth.
“A lot of the the things that we put into place and things that we hoped would happen, or thought could happen, eventuated,” Voges said.
“You think that it could play out that way, but you’re just not sure. It was brilliant to see how it ultimately worked out.”
After missing the finals for just the third time in the history of the men’s Big Bash in BBL|14, the Scorchers lost two loyal clubmen who combined had played 223 matches and taken 301 wickets for the organisation.
Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye moved east to the Melbourne Renegades as the club approached BBL|15 with a new-look bowling attack. Despite the inexperience, setbacks and questions the fresh cohort faced, they still found a way to deliver when it mattered most.
“We lost some experience in our bowling attack,” Voges said.
“Jason Behrendorff and AJ Tye had been integral parts of our success over the course of our history, so to lose those guys was a big change. That was something that we needed to work through… I guess our way of playing and knowing what has made us successful potentially needed to look a little bit different.
“Bringing Joel Paris in, we knew he would have a great impact and fill the skillset of Jason (Behrendorff). Wth AJ (Tye) moving on as well, we knew that provided some opportunity for a couple of our younger players. Mahli (Beardman) in particular was outstanding… we knew that we’d get Jhye Richardson back at some stage and that he would get better with each game that he played. We hoped David Payne would come in and have an impact at the back-end of the tournament. We put the pieces in place.”
Perth started their campaign successfully with a five-wicket win over Sydney Sixers, but the club found themselves on the wrong side of history in their next fixture.
Despite posting a mammoth 6-257 against Brisbane Heat at the Gabba, the Scorchers couldn’t defend their total as the Heat reached the enormous target with one ball to spare. The result marked a record for the highest successful run chase in Big Bash history.
Looking back on a historic night, Voges revealed the match was the loss Perth needed to have in order to grow as a group.
“The loss in Brisbane when we weren’t able to defend 257 was a pretty pivotal moment in the campaign,” Voges said.
“It could have broken us in a way with a young attack, terrific batting lineup that had scored runs, but an inability to be able to defend such a big total. It could have been a real detriment, but I actually found it went the other way. I think that going through that experience in that second game against the Heat was actually really pivotal to how we went about the rest of the tournament and how our bowling attack was able to grow and learn from that experience.
“I look back on that moment and as frustrating as it was at the time, it actually proved to be the turning point that I think helped accelerate our growth as a bowling unit.
“I think you saw that in our results as the tournament went on and there’s no doubt that at the back-end of the tournament, they were at their best as a bowling unit. In our last three games we bowled the opposition out, so what may have been perceived as less of a strength of ours at the beginning of the tournament actually became a real strength of ours towards the back-end.”
While their bowling unit took some time to find their groove, it was a different story for their batting group that helped the team pass 200 on a record five occasions throughout BBL|15. Remarkably all five of those scores were outside of Optus Stadium as the Scorchers piled on the pain to opposition bowlers.
Coming into the season with arguably the strongest batting lineup across the competition, Voges was bullish that his batters could perform for Perth.
“We had arguably the best top seven in the competition that was jam-packed full of power,” Voges said.
“Finn Allen and Mitch Marsh at the top. We knew that they were going to cause opposition attacks some headaches. With the depth and power that we had within that lineup, we were really confident.
“The unknown was some inexperience in our bowling unit, but equally, we see these guys day-in day-out… I don’t think at any stage that diminished our confidence that we could be ultra competitive and be there at the back-end.”
For Voges, BBL|15 is just one of six successful campaigns he’s experienced with the team out west. Having won three trophies as a player and now three trophies as a coach, it’s hard for the 46-year-old to compare and contrast his triumphs.
The man they call ‘V’ couldn’t rank his BBL titles, but there’s no doubt that his most recent success is one of his favourites.
“They’re all incredibly special and unique in their own way, but this one’s right up there,” Voges said.
“There’s some fairly significant personnel change. To see the growth of some of those young players… for them to step up and be able to perform on the big stage the way that they did, I think that’s the really pleasing bit. As a coach, they’re the things that give you the greatest satisfaction. To see those guys come and take those opportunities.
“We had some great contributions throughout the tournament. We had a lot of guys contribute in different ways, and you need that to win titles. In terms of where does it sit, it’s hard to rank, but it’s right up there.”
In this seventh BBL|15 season review on cricket.com.au, Voges helps us breakdown Perth’s season through the key talking points that defined their summer, before giving us an insight into the future of the club.
Perth Scorchers: BBL|15 snapshot
BBL|15 result: First (9 wins, 3 losses), won the Final against Sixers by six wickets
Most runs: Finn Allen (466 at 42.36)
Best strike rate (min. 50 runs): Finn Allen (184.18)
Most wickets: Cooper Connolly (15 at 14.93)
Best economy (min. 10 overs): Cooper Connolly (6.40)
Contracted for BBL|16: Ashton Agar (contracted until BBL|17), Mahli Beardman (BBL|16), Cooper Connolly (BBL|16), Aaron Hardie (BBL|17), Mitch Marsh (BBL|17), Lance Morris (BBL|16), Joel Paris (BBL|16), Jhye Richardson (BBL|16), Ashton Turner (BBL|18)
Uncontracted: Finn Allen (New Zealand), Brody Couch, Joel Curtis, Laurie Evans (England), Sam Fanning, Nick Hobson, Luke Holt, Josh Inglis, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, David Payne (England), Corey Rocchiccioli
Finn Allen fires
Finn Allen entered BBL|15 having struggled for runs in his debut Big Bash season.
In the summer of 2024-25, Allen scored just the 181 runs at an average of 18.10 during a tough initiation to the BBL.
Twelve months later, Allen flipped the script with an outstanding campaign that saw him produce 466 runs at an average of 42.36, with three scores of fifty or more, including a maiden BBL hundred. He had earned his plaudits and was rightfully named in the BBL|15 Team of the Tournament.
Ending the season as the league’s highest run-scorer, Voges said Allen’s ability to adapt to the Optus Stadium deck proved pivotal in his sensational BBL campaign.
“History tells us, particularly with our overseas batters, that it probably takes them a little while to work out Optus,” Voges said.
“It’s a great competitive advantage for us, because opposition teams come over and only get one crack at it. We get a bit of time to work out how to play it. What we saw with Finn this year is just a more mature and a more complete player.
“There’s still the brute power that he possesses and his ability to hit 360 degrees… but we saw his game evolve this year. It wasn’t just trying to hit every ball for six, there was far more method. He opened up the off-side far more than probably what he did the season before, and he became even more difficult to bowl to.
“He was out there for much longer and I know a lot of his goals were to try and get to the 10-over mark, so he could take the (Power) Surge. He was outstanding.
“Out of all our top seven batters, he actually played Optus the best this year. Optus was a little bit different this year, it was a bit slower and a little bit more inconsistent than what we’ve had in the past, but Finn went better than anyone.”
Jhye Richardson returns
Coming back from shoulder surgery, the return of Jhye Richardson was crucial in Perth’s title tilt across BBL|15. Across the seven games that he played, Richardson was the club’s most experienced bowler in the absence of Behrendorff and Tye.
Initially, the 29-year-old struggled to find consistency as the Heat took him for 49 runs off his first four overs in his first match of the campaign. The right-arm speedster was then removed from the competition to play in the NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes series against England in the Boxing Day Test.
Returning to the side on January 7, Richardson was still far from his best until Perth’s all-important final game of the regular season. It was here that Richardson took 4-16 to help his side secure top spot. Proving his credentials as a big game player, the Scorchers quick then delivered in the BBL|15 finals series, taking 1-20 and 3-32 in Perth’s two fixtures against the Sixers.
Highlighting the importance of Richardson to the organisation’s fortunes, Voges said the Australian Test squad member was without a doubt a key cog in the team’s title-winning run.
“He’s really important to the success of our club,” Voges said.
“If we rewind 12 months and Jhye missed the back-end of BBL|14 to have shoulder surgery in the hope of being avaliable for an Ashes series. We rode that journey with him over that 12-month period to help him get back to where he wanted to get back to.
“We always knew that Jhye is an incredibly skillful bowler. Anyone that sits out of the game for that period of time, it’s going to take a little while just to get back into the swing of things. We saw that for his first few games. He will probably be the first to admit he didn’t execute as well as he possibly could. We knew the skill level, we knew the character of Jhye and that he was going to get better with each opportunity.
“It was great to see him out there leading the attack come the final.”
The Bison comes back
For the first time in five years, Mitch Marsh played a full season of Big Bash cricket in another boost for the Scorchers in their title quest. Just 12 months on from his one and only appearance in BBL|14, where Marsh scored a golden duck after being axed from Australia’s Test squad, the ‘Bison’ was an integral part of Perth’s success this summer.
Opening the batting with Allen, Marsh produced 360 runs at an average of 30 and strike rate of 132.35, including one century against last season’s champions Hobart Hurricanes on their home deck.
The Australian T20I captain was not only a valuable asset with the bat, but as Voges describes, it was his leadership qualities and tactical nous that gave Perth confidence throughout the competition.
“I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of Mitch and his contribution,” Voges said.
“On and off the field, he drives the culture within our group. He’s incredibly invested in the Scorchers and he’s been a Scorcher since day one. We haven’t seen a huge amount of him in the previous seasons because of international commitments, but the fact that we were able to get him for a full campaign this year, he drove our energy.
“He was brilliant as a lieutenant for Ashton Turner out on the field. He formed a really formidable opening combination with with Finn Allen. He brought so much to our group, as he does to every group that he comes with. We got a fully committed, fully invested Mitch Marsh, and we all walked a bit taller because of that.”
Opening the bowling with Cooper Connolly
Cooper Connolly may have started his campaign as the reigning BKT Golden Bat winner alongside Glenn Maxwell, but it was his work with the ball that stunned the competition over the course of BBL|15. The left-hand bat averaged just 19 across the tournament, with his top scores of 59 and 77 coming in the club’s opening two fixtures.
However with the ball, Connolly took 15 wickets at an average of 14.93 and economy of 6.40.
In a shock to many, including his coach, the left-arm orthodox bowler topped the Scorchers wicket-takers list. On six occasions, Connolly took a wicket in the first over of his side’s bowling innings, which is a new season record for the Big Bash.
The decision to use Connolly with the new ball wasn’t in Perth’s initial plans, but as Voges explains, there were a number of factors that led to this inspired choice.
“If you told me at the start of the campaign that we were going to open the bowling with Cooper as much as we did, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Voges said.
“There’s a few different factors as to how and why that came about. You lose Jason Behrendorff, who’s bowled traditionally the first over of most of their games.
“We needed a bit more flexibility with guys and the roles that they could play… against Hobart and Mitch Owen was the first time that we did it. Mitch hit his first ball for six out of the stadium, then (Cooper) got him out second ball.
“The new addition of the Westpac ball… I think a lot of the teams worked out that it probably didn’t swing quite as much. The opportunity to bowl spin with that ball, knowing that you’re getting a brand new one for the second over anyway, was tactically something that a number of teams used throughout the tournament.
“Add in all those factors and that’s probably how the decision comes up in the first place. He had a terrific impact in that sense… Coop’s ability to step up with the ball and contribute the way that he did was really crucial.”
Mahli Beardman’s brilliant spells
Playing in just his second Big Bash season, Mahli Beardman took on extra responsibility with maturity beyond his years throughout Perth’s BBL|15 season.
The 20-year-old speedster missed just one match in the Scorchers’ campaign as he took 13 wickets, with five of those coming in clutch moments during the finals series. The right-arm quick took 3-20 in the Qualifier final, including the prized wicket of Steve Smith, to record his best figures in the competition to date.
The former Australia Under-19 World Cup winner backed up this spell with another impressive showing in the decider as he took 2-29 from four overs to help the Scorchers cruise to a six-wicket win.
Understanding the talent Beardman possesses, Voges said it was the young man’s preparation that allowed him to showcase his very best cricket on the Big Bash stage.
“He (Beardman) was in a good place to give himself the best chance of success,” Voges said.
“I think we know Mahli’s talents and we know the potential there. Ultimately it’s about being able to go out and do it on the biggest stage. We saw glimpses of it in the previous season. He played a couple of games at the back-end and had a pretty good impact. Certainly our planning throughout the first half of the domestic season was to try and give Mahli the best opportunity to have a really successful Big Bash.
“I think he grew as the tournament progressed. We asked him to do more and more in terms of bowling some really important overs and he took some really big wickets.
“The faith and trust that I think Ashton Turner as captain had in Mahli grew with every game, so he was happy to give him more responsibility. Each time that came, I think Mahli thrived on that and stepped up. He was outstanding.”
Aaron Hardie’s huge campaign
Whether they needed support with the bat or ball, Aaron Hardie did the job for his team in many scenarios throughout the Scorchers’ season. Making 339 runs while taking 12 wickets, the allrounder was recognised alongside Allen in the BBL|15 Team of the Tournament for his efforts across the summer.
While Hardie’s 94 not out at Ninja Stadium on New Year’s Day (his highest Big Bash score) was definitely a significant highlight of his campaign, the 27-year-old bowled many important overs for his side. Like Beardman, the Scorcher also claimed the wicket of Steve Smith during BBL|15, with his breakthrough a defining moment in this season’s finale.
Recognising the work he had done to produce his best cricket in BBL|15, Voges admitted he was thankful to have a fit and firing Hardie throughout the course of the campaign.
“Aaron is so important to the makeup of our team,” Voges said.
“He wasn’t fit last year. He was battling injury throughout the tournament, but we had a fully-fit and available Aaron Hardie this year and it makes such a big difference to our team. Not only the runs that he scored, and he was he was excellent in that area, but the tough overs that he bowls.
“Ashton (Turner) asked him to bowl some really tough overs throughout the tournament as we were still learning about how we go about constructing our bowling innings. Aaron was brilliant. Those allrounders in your top seven that can provide you four quality overs makes such a difference in terms of how you structure your team, how you balance your team and how deep you can go with your batting lineup.”
Ashton Turner’s legacy
In 15 seasons of the BBL, no player has won as many titles as Scorchers skipper, Ashton Turner.
Now a five-time BBL champion, Turner is also the first man to captain a team to three BBL championships. Despite all his success, it hasn’t always been an easy run for the 33-year-old.
After claiming his fourth title and second as skipper in BBL|12, Turner was ruled out of BBL|13 just three games into the tournament as he required surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. Following the surgery, Turner returned in BBL|14 to captain a side that missed the finals for the first time in five seasons.
Losing two of their first three games in this campaign, another title seemed a long way off for the club’s captain. However once again, Turner and his team found a way to win.
Reflecting on Turner’s influence across the entire organisation, Voges said he couldn’t be prouder to work alongside such an impressive leader.
“(I’m) incredibly proud and I’m really lucky to be able to work with AT daily,” Voges said.
“It’s a special bond that you have with your captain and he’s arguably our most important player. He’s the one that calls the shots out on the field. He is tactically as good as anyone in the game. I believe he is able to get the best out of the players out on the field. He’s calm, he’s measured. You just know what you’re going to get day-in day-out from him.
“That’s not even talking about his batting, which is still a really important part of what he is able to bring. He’s an outstanding batter in his own right. He took three wickets in the tournament as well (and he) probably under-bowled himself. A captain is such an important part of your T20 team and we’re incredibly fortunate that we’ve got, I think, one of the best in the competition.”
Squad moves and eyes on BBL|16
The Scorchers have secured nine players for BBL|16, but Australian white-ball wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is not one of them.
The 30-year-old, who hit the winning runs to secure Perth’s sixth title, is currently uncontracted amidst speculation of Australia’s Test schedule that’s set to include a five-Test tour of India starting in January next year.
Despite questions surrounding his availability, Voges is hopeful of keeping Inglis in orange for summers to come.
“I think Josh has been a really important part of our success,” Voges said.
“He hits the winning runs in the final and we never underestimate the impact that he brings and has with us when he plays. The reality is, how much of Josh are we going to see next year? That’s just what I think everyone’s working through at the moment.
“How do we keep Josh a Scorcher for as long as possible and create a deal that he’s happy with? We understand we’re probably not going to see a lot of him certainly in the next 12 months. I’m certainly hopeful that he is playing a lot of international cricket in all formats for Australia, and that we don’t get to see him a lot. In the times that he is free and available, my hope is certainly that it’s in orange.”
While the club still have seven of their playing XI from the final signed, the Scorchers will have decisions to make when it comes to their internationals for next summer.
Knowing the influence Allen, fan favourite Laurie Evans and BBL|15 Player of the Final David Payne have had on the group, Voges said he would love the chance to get all three players back to the Scorchers.
“All three of them were great,” Voges said.
“We made a conscious decision to bring Payney and Laurie back who have both been with us before and experienced success. We know that they fit in incredibly well to our group and we love having them around. That’s always been a real focus for us with our overseas players. We identify the skill gaps that we need and then we bring in the best people that we possibly can.
“(We’re) really pleased with all three of those guys and we would love to have them back.”
Scorchers fans did not get the chance to see Lance Morris in BBL|15. The right-arm quick was ruled out of the entire domestic season after he revealed he would undergo back surgery in August. Contracted until the end of next season, Voges gave a promising update on the 27-year-old.
“Lance will be back next year and that’s really exciting,” Voges said.
“We are seeing his progress daily at the moment. He actually bowled a few balls off a few steps in the nets, which is really encouraging post-surgery. We’re certainly looking forward to welcoming Lance back.”
While it is difficult to find squad gaps in the reigning champions, Voges and his club know the importance of continually developing their squad.
As the coach prepares for his next BBL mission, which is making the six-time champions into seven-time winners, he’s fully committed to ensuring Perth’s squad continues to have all bases covered.
“Every team’s trying to build depth in most areas to be honest and I don’t think we’re going to be any different,” Voges said.
“We saw a little bit of opportunity given to a few of our younger guys. Joel Curtis played one game as a wicketkeeper-batter. Luke Holt played three games as a wrist-spinner… we’re constantly looking at what we can do with our squad and how we can improve.
“Matt Kelly was injured for the entirety of the Big Bash this year, and Bryce (Jackson) was available, but just didn’t get his opportunity this time around. We still really value having that level of depth within our bowling squad.
“Whenever you’re successful, you’d love to keep everyone together… but we understand that attracts interest from other teams as well. We’ll just work through that with our group and with those players individually, and we’ll try and come up with a great outcome for everyone.”
