Perth Scorchers win sixth BBL title after trouncing Sydney Sixers

PERTH (Agencies): Perth Scorchers raced to their sixth Big Bash League title on Sunday with an emphatic six-wicket victory over Sydney Sixers in the final at Perth Stadium. Earning hosting rights after crushing the Sixers in a qualifier last week, the Scorchers fielded first and bowled their six-time Grand Final rivals out for a paltry 132 in 20 overs as pacemen David Payne and Jhye Richardson combined for six wickets. With 15 balls remaining in their reply, the hosts reached 133-4 anchored by a 43-ball 44 from Mitch Marsh.

“It feels like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We have high expectations, and to be able to deliver on those expectations is really satisfying,” Scorchers captain Ashton Turner said. The table-topping Scorchers started their chase in audacious fashion when Marsh, Australia’s T20 captain, pulled the first ball for six. His opening partner Finn Allen, the season’s top run-scorer with 466, got the better of quick Mitchell Starc in a 19-run fourth over, bringing the crowd to their feet with a scooped six into the second tier.

With rain threatening, the Scorchers powered ahead at nearly 10 an over until a spectacular one-handed catch by Jack Edwards off Starc dismissed Allen for 36. Seamer Sean Abbott accounted for Aaron Hardie (five) and Marsh, but Josh Inglis (29 not out) saw the Scorchers over the line with a majestic six over long-off. Earlier, the Perth crowd of 55,018 roared in delight when Sixers’ drawcard Steve Smith, who averaged 60 in the tournament at a strike rate of 168 yet finds himself out of T20 World Cup reckoning, dejectedly departed for 24 when all-rounder Hardie reviewed for lbw.

Fortunate to survive three missed run outs in the space of five balls, skipper Moises Henriques was caught for 24 off the medium pace of man-of-the-match Payne, who ended with 3-18. Fast bowler Mahli Beardman, on the cusp of international selection, closed out the innings with two wickets and a run out in the final over. “It hurts. We really wanted to come over here and keep this Perth crowd relatively quiet. Unfortunately we weren’t good enough to do that tonight,” Henriques said. The Australia squad will fly to Pakistan for three 20-over matches in preparation for their first T20 World Cup fixture against Ireland in Colombo on February 11.