Perth Scorchers have won the Big Bash League (BBL 12) title for the fifth time on Saturday, February 4. Perth, Perth who once reached the brink of defeat due to their mistakes, broke Brisbane Heat’s dream of winning the title again after 10 years, winning by 5 wickets in a thrilling way and captured the championship for the second time in a row.
Talking about the match, the Heat won the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Josh Brown started with some streaky boundaries but couldn’t stay on the pitch for long and departed after scoring 25 runs off 12 balls. However, Sam Heazlett and Nathan McSweeney built together a fine partnership, but their scoring rate wasn’t great.
It needed an intervention by Hardie in the 13th over to break the partnership as he dismissed Heazlett on 34, and after that the game saw a nice see-saw battle. Sam Hain (21 off 16) and Max Bryant (31 off 14) got nice little cameos, but Perth always responded with timely wickets, as Matt Kelly and Behrendorff ended with two wickets apiece. While Andrew Tye also got a wicket but went very expensive as he conceded 42 runs in his 4 overs quota resulting Heat getting a total of 175 runs.
Ashton Turner played a brilliant knock of 53 runs off 32 balls
Chasing the target, the hots were in a spot of bother losing three wickets inside eight overs. That’s when the experienced duo of skipper Ashton Turner and Josh Inglis joined hands. Both stitched a brilliant 80-run partnership and not only steadied the ship but also kept the asking rate under check. Xavier Bartlett broke the partnership by removing Inglis in the 17th over. Turner soon followed him as he was run-out.
But Cooper Connolly, the 19-year-old left hander, arrived and smoked 18 runs in an over off Bazley by smashing two sixes and a four. The pressure was back on the Heat but Spencer Johnson bowled a decent penultimate over. He would have removed Connolly if not for the dropped catch. Neser was summoned to bowl the final over with 10 runs needed but he bowled two full tosses and Nick Hobson took full toll of those freebies and hit the winning runs to bring the house down.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Well deserved victory
— Twisted (@twistedwhat) February 4, 2023
They are baap of chumbai 💪
— Action Kamen (@Action_kamen___) February 4, 2023
This might open door for Turner in Australia national team again
— Bachaspati Nayak (@BachaspatiN) February 4, 2023
Hard luck Brisbane Heat👏🏻
— P R A T I K. (@pratiknayak774) February 4, 2023
Greatest BBL team without a doubt, not just winning they've properly dominated the league several times even when they didn't win and that too with multiple first choice players missing. Their domination in BBL is akin to Aussie team of the 2000s
— sai shashank (@SaiShashank_ten) February 4, 2023
They won from impossible to possible 👏🔥
— A.Ashwal (@Ashwal7A) February 4, 2023
Are bhai kisi or ko bhi jeetne do
— Cricketbugs (@Cricketbugs0) February 4, 2023
They seemed down & out after losing Turner but young Connolly played a blinder. Great composure & clean hitting under pressure by the 19yr old.
— P (@Dentpub) February 4, 2023
Without help of ambani money scorcher don't compare with this too chumbai randians team😂😂chumbai randians have pollard,malinga,Boult,decock,archer,brevis,surya,kishan, vadapav but scorcher win without this big names😍😍
— Tera Baap HU ME (@GautamJ89249648) February 4, 2023
