Captain Ashton Turner (53 off 32) and Cooper Connolly (25* off 11) played brilliant knocks as Perth Scorchers beat Brisbane Heat by five wickets in the 2022-23 Big Bash League (BBL) final on Saturday, February 4.
Brisbane Heat posted a competitive 175/7 on the board after winning the toss and toss at Perth Stadium. In reply, Perth Scorchers got off to a poor start and were in trouble at 54/3 in the eighth over. However, Turner and Josh Inglis (26 off 22) added 80 runs for the fourth wicket to lift the attacking side, before Connolly struck some timely blows.
Perth Scorchers opener Stephen Eskinazi (21) gave away his wicket after being dismissed at the non-striker’s end with a direct hit, failing to get the bat into the crease.
Cameron Bancroft (15) was caught in a long line, trying to get even with Matthew Kuhnemann. Aaron Hardie (17 off 13) looked dangerous until he slapped Spencer Johnson straight to deep backward square leg, where Sam Heazlett took a superb catch.
Most runs for Perth Scorchers in the @BBL: 2000 – ASHTON TURNER 1904 – Mitch Marsh1595 – Cam Bancroft1493 – Josh Inglis 1435 – Shaun Marsh#BBL12 https://t.co/MWVbwLaGRZ
Turner, however, hit five fours and two sixes even as Inglis struggled to find the big hits regularly. The fourth wicket was broken when Inglis sliced Xavier Bartlett to deep cover. Disaster struck for the Perth Scorchers as Turner was ruled out after a horrific mix-up with Nick Hobson.
Connolly, 19, however, showed nerves of steel to keep Perth Scorchers ahead in the 2022-23 BBL final. He hit James Bazley for two sixes and a six in the 18th over, costing Brisbane Heat 18 runs. Connolly then fell deep in the penultimate over as Brisbane began to feel the ‘heat’.
With 10 needed from six balls, Hobson hit the second ball of Michael Neser’s last over for a maximum.
A high delivery was then sliced over low third man for a four as the Perth Scorchers claimed their fifth BBL crown, extending their dominance in the T20 league.
Brisbane Heat were 175/7 against Perth Scorchers
Batting first after winning the toss in the 2022-23 BBL Final, Brisbane Heat scored 175/7. Nathan McSweeney top scored with 41 off 37, while debutant Heazlett contributed 34 off 30, before Max Bryant scored 31 off just 14 balls.
Josh Brown got Brisbane Heat off to an impressive start, hitting Jason Behrendorff for three fours in the first over. He hit a few more big shots in the next over before miscuing a slower ball from David Payne. Brown returned to the hut for 25 off 12 balls.
After a few quiet overs, Heazlett hit Hardie for six and four off consecutive deliveries as Brisbane Heat reached a competitive 86/1 at the halfway mark. Behrendorff scored twice in the 13th minute to reduce the number of shots to 109/3.
The Perth Scorchers took the Power Surge and the move paid off. Heazlett hit a short ball to short fine leg while Jimmy Peirson (three) was caught off another short ball in the same region.
Brisbane Heat suffered another blow when McSweeney clipped a catch from Hardie to deep cover. Bryant, however, hit two fours and three sixes to lift the batting side. Matthew Kelly dismissed Bryant and Neser (0) in the penultimate over.
Bartlett’s six (six*) off Andrew Tye took Brisbane Heat past the 170-run mark. However, it just wasn’t enough as the Perth Scorchers bounced back from a terrible start against the Brisbane Heat.