Perth Scorchers Dominate Sydney Sixers to Secure Ninth BBL Final Berth

The Perth Scorchers, five-time champions of the Big Bash League, showed once more why their fortress is seldom conquered, why opponents arrive with so much hope and leave with only the memory of what might have been. This was another of those famous bowling performances, the kind that is already stitched into the league's folklore, as they skipped past the Sydney Sixers and into yet another final - their ninth, if you're counting, and the sixth to be hosted in this famous Western Australian city. That the Scorchers were asked to bat first and were restricted to only 147 should have been an indication of Sixers' advantage in the modern T20 era. Instead, they made it look at least 50 runs more, perhaps more still, as Mahli Beardman, David Payne and Cooper Connolly took seven wickets among them. Even Steve Smith's fighting 37 off 24, an innings seemingly pushing against the inevitable, wasn't enough to get the Sixers close. They were bowled out for 99, unable to keep up with the pace and bounce and the occasional inconsistent nature of it. For the Sixers, defeat means flying back to the far east to play the Challenger, to earn the right to return to Perth and challenge the Scorchers' hegemony. Their chastening night was summed up perfectly, almost cruelly, by Sean Abbott's run-out right at the end: his bat stuck in the turf outside the crease while completing an easy run, his body tumbling over the crease in slow motion, while Josh Inglis had whipped off the bails with Abbott still in the air. It ended an evening that had promised so much more, but delivered only what Perth mostly delivers, a win for the Scorchers. The Sixers had walked off at the mid-point of this game very pleased with their efforts following Moises Henriques's win at the toss. Finn Allen continued his good form at the top of the order for the Scorchers, even breaching the record for the most sixes in a single BBL season by hitting a 37th maximum. But his wicket was key. After he fell for a 30-ball 49 there was a collapse as the Scorchers slipped from 67/1 to 87/5. Ashton Turner added a crucial 29 but wickets kept falling around him. Due to the wickets falling, the Surge was delayed until the very end and even that didn't produce many. There was, however, a vital contribution from Jhye Richardson right at the end which took them close to 150. Ben Dwarshius was outstanding with his 2 for 23 and was well supported by Jack Edwards and Ashes hero Mitchell Starc, who also claimed a brace. But the Sixers couldn't ride that momentum into the second innings. Two balls in, they lost Babar Azam for a duck after he dragged his foot in the air while trying to defend Cooper Connolly and was stumped. Josh Philippe began with a couple of fours off David Payne but was undone by the pace and bounce in the wicket when his attempts to pull Beardman off his first ball only resulted in a top edge. The impressive seamer also sent back Henriques, who also attempted to pull in front of square and only succeeded in ballooning a catch. Smith, true to his style, fought back. He also pulled but was clever enough to do so by getting inside the line of the ball and hitting it behind square. A four and a six off Brody Couch threatened to turn the tide but once more the Scorchers bowlers hit back. Payne was hit for a six by Lachlan Shaw but fell the following over, chipping an off-pace delivery straight to mid-off. Sixers shot themselves in the foot in the next over when Jack Edwards gave up his stumps trying to cut Connolly and heard the sound of timber, even as Smith at the other end shook his head in frustration. Beardman returned in the 11th over and effectively closed out the match when he had Smith caught at long leg, getting more elevation than distance on a pull shot. And by the 15th over of the chase, Scorchers found themselves in yet another BBL final.