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Perth Scorchers 163 for 5 (Connolly 39*, Fanning 29, D’ Short 2-37) beat Adelaide Strikers 161 (Scott 67, M Short 40, Beardman 3-17, Behrendorff 3-21) by 5 five wickets
Before he departs for his first Test tour, Cooper Connolly stepped up under pressure as Perth Scorchers’ unlikely bid for finals remained alive after a tense victory over Adelaide Strikers.
The finals hopes of both teams were remarkably revived after Melbourne Renegades’ improbable victory earlier over Brisbane Heat. Scorchers needed to chase 162 in 18 overs to leapfrog Renegades and they did it relatively easy at the end with Connolly slamming consecutive sixes to finish the job in the 17th over.
In front of 41, 878 at Optus Stadium, Connolly rose to the occasion once again and finished unbeaten with 39 from 21 balls to end Strikers – and Renegades – season.
But Melbourne Stars can leapfrog Scorchers and claim fourth spot if they beat Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL season-finale at the MCG on Sunday.
Connolly guides Scorchers over the line
Finn Allen has been boom or bust this BBL season. He was Scorchers’ x-factor and the fans hoped he could replicate Jake Fraser-McGurk’s earlier fireworks.
After a couple of early boundaries, it was an anti-climax with Allen hitting to midwicket before Aaron Hardie and Sam Fanning combined to get Scorchers back on track.
Hardie has been out of form with a top-score of 34 this season, but looked in a determined mood and started with a boundary. He stroked another down the ground and whacked a short delivery into the crowd.
But the match turned in the eighth over when Fanning was run out after a horrible mix up before Hardie moments later was stumped after failing to connect a flighted delivery from legspinner Lloyd Pope.
Connolly, however, was composed as he kept Scorchers on pace. The nerve-jangling chase had shades of the classic BBL 12 final and, fittingly, he stepped up under pressure again.
He slammed consecutive sixes off D’Arcy Short to guide Scorchers to a memorable victory that has, for now, kept their season alive.
Strikers lack penetration
Strikers needed to win by at least 15 runs to keep their finals hopes alive. But they were always up against it and will rue a couple of pivotal moments. Connolly, on 6, was adjudged lbw to Pope, but it was overturned after ball-tracking had it pitching outside the line.
Turner was dropped on 9 by Brendan Doggett, who ran in from long off only to grass a regulation catch.
Needing wickets, D’Arcy Short was given the ball when the power surge was taken in the 13th over. It was a gamble by captain Matt Short and it looked to backfire when Turner slammed a six down the ground but fell two balls later attempting to repeat the dose.
But Strikers’ lack of firepower with the ball was evident as their season came to an end.
Beardman steps up in his second BBL match
After a disastrous defeat to Thunder in Sydney, where they were routed for 97, Scorchers’ season looked done. They looked ashen-faced returning home amid rumblings that numerous veterans were on the outer and set to leave the club at season’s end.
Their final home game, with a bumper crowd tipped for weeks, appeared likely to be a dead-rubber. But, remarkably, four results went their way and Scorchers were still alive.
After Scorchers elected to bowl, spearheads Lance Morris and Jason Behrendorff – who have gone off the boil in recent games – were pumped up but perhaps overeager.
Normally so reliable in the powerplay, they sprayed the new ball and were rattled by the ultra-aggressiveness of Matt Short and Alex Carey.
But Scorchers were able to take regular wickets as Connolly, in his last match before he departs for the Sri Lanka tour, dismissed Short for 40 with a fuller and quicker delivery.
It was 19-year-old Mahli Beardman who stole the show in his second BBL game. He has been preferred over experienced quicks Andrew Tye and Matt Kelly, as Scorchers start transitioning their list, and he justified the faith with three wickets.
Beardman made a name for himself at last year’s Under-19 World Cup with rapid bowling and he showcased his innate fire with speeds hitting 140 kph.
He claimed his first BBL wicket after knocking over the leg stump of Alex Ross, whose attempted ramp went horribly wrong. Beardman then bowled a sizzling short delivery first ball to Harry Manenti before dismissing him shortly after. He added the wicket of D’Arcy Short to cap Scorchers’ comeback.
In good signs for the Australian national team, Hardie – who is in the Champions Trophy squad – bowled for the first time this BBL. He finished with 0 for 14 off two overs.
Hardie had not bowled since taking a three-wicket haul against Pakistan in a T20I in November as he ramps up his bowling loads. He had played as a specialist batter having recovered from a nagging quad injury.
Scott has breakout as Strikers go extra hard
With Renegades having lifted their net run rate, Strikers decided to go all out attack in good batting conditions. Alex Carey, promoted to open, went for broke and decided to hit hard. It was an effective strategy as he started his flurry by whacking Behrendorff down the ground for six before enjoying the extra pace of Morris.
He raced to 22 off 6 before being late on a rampant Morris delivery and hitting straight to third man. Short continued to put the foot on the gas as Strikers pummelled 56 in the powerplay, with Morris conceding 37 of the runs.
But the risky approach proved the downfall for numerous batters as Strikers were pegged back in the middle overs. It was left to 24-year-old Liam Scott to lift Strikers in the second half of the innings and he rose to the occasion with a maiden BBL half-century.
He continued Morris’ hapless night with a couple of mighty blows into the crowd before his 43-ball 67 ended in the 17th over.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
