Perth Scorchers 173/5 (20/20 ov)
Hobart Hurricanes 172/6 (20/20 ov)
Perth Scorchers won by 1 run
More than any other team in the BBL, Perth Scorchers just seem to have a bit in reserve. Sam Whiteman, their first-choice wicketkeeper, has missed the entire tournament with injury; both Ashtons, Agar and Turner, have barely needed to bowl; David Willey, who has a 40-ball T20 century, has seldom been required with the bat; Michael Carberry, until now, has been keeping the Scorchers' bench warm.
All four of those aspects combined to secure a thrilling victory over Hobart Hurricanes before a packed house at the Bellerive Oval, as a hobbling Darren Sammy managed only four of the six runs the hosts required from the game's final ball - bowled by death specialist AJ Tye.
For the recalled Carberry, it was his bat, not the pine, that was smoking as his quickfire half-century propelled Scorchers to 173, with some brutal late hitting from Willey completing the job. With Carberry replacing Joel Paris, Scorchers looked a bowler light, but Agar took the key wickets of Kumar Sangakkara - stumped on the second attempt by Whiteman's understudy, Cameron Bancroft - and Tim Paine, bowled for 57, as Scorchers' bowlers - consistently remarkable defenders of tight totals - pulled off a strangle to win by a single run.
This was all little surprise, given the hallmarks of Scorchers' successive titles were adaptability and depth; with a place in the last four confirmed, they now know victory over Melbourne Stars at the WACA next Saturday ensures them a home semi-final, a significant step toward a third title.
Marcus Harris thrice drove Clive Rose for four in the match's opening over, but when the same bowler returned four overs later, Harris was fooled by one that was tossed up and, when he groped awkwardly forward, Paine duly stumped him. In the face of a barrage of verbals and chin music from a fired-up Shaun Tait - who had exchanged terse words with Harris - Michael Klinger was the picture of calm, swatting Sam Rainbird for a pair of leg-side fours in an over, and driving Dan Christian through cover. But Klinger was run out after some fine work in the deep by Rainbird and sharp hands from Darren Sammy. Six balls later Adam Voges slog swept Cameron Boyce straight to the man in the deep.
After marshaling their victory over Sydney Thunder three days ago, Agar had uttered the standard words of the supportive team-mate for the beleaguered colleague, claiming Carberry was "looking great in the nets." Agar was not wrong, with Carberry immediately looking in fine form, smashing Ben Dunk's apologetic offbreak over cover for four. In consecutive overs, he took Christian for three fours, then Boyce for four to bring up his 50 in 30 deliveries.
But Tait, who had been luckless in his early overs and touched 150kph, returned to stymie the Scorchers' progress. Carberry looked to cut him, but was caught behind, before Agar's leading edge went to cover. Willey's hard running pinched at least two runs from every ball of Sammy's last over - which also included a massive six over midwicket - to drag the visitors to 173.
Paine looked to anchor the Hurricanes' chase as Dunk and Sangakkara - who is averaging just 14.42 this season - fell early. Christian was promoted to No. 4 and shared 53 with his captain, before being bowled by Brad Hogg at the start of the third over. Paine nudged and nurdled effectively, reaching his fifty with a pulled six off Jason Behrendorff.
But when he missed a sweep off Agar and was bowled, a thrilling finish was set up. As Scorchers' fielding flagged, Michael Hill hit Hogg for a pair of sixes, and Jonathan Wells ran hard, but it was left to Sammy to complete the heist. He hit Behrendorff over deep midwicket for six to leave 16 required from Tye's last over. Sammy felt his hamstring twinge during a hard-run two, and hobbled through for two more the ball after. Then another of Tye's trademark yorkers claimed a dot, but Sammy stepped away and threw his hands at a wider delivery that flew into the stands at cover point.
With six required from two, Tye found a yorker that Sammy missed, and Wells was run-out sprinting down the pitch. Finally there was a four, and the Scorchers' strangle was complete. This, right here, is why they are double champions.
Brisbane Heat 162/8 (20/20 ov)
Sydney Sixers 156/8 (20/20 ov)
Brisbane Heat won by 6 runs
Sydney Sixers, the finalists last season, were left all but out of contention in this season's Big Bash League, after suffering a six-run loss against Brisbane Heat. There remains a slim mathematical chance, that with various other results going their way, and a handsome victory in next Saturday's Sydney derby, they could yet squirm through. However, so slender are their chances that Brad Haddin, their third captain of the season, didn't realise it looked possible. "We'll hold onto that glimmer of hope," he said, with a wry grin.
Injuries and international call-ups to key players have bitten Sixers; their batting order here - a debutant at first drop, a bowling allrounder at No.4, and their finest batsman at No.5 - looked like it had been picked on the basis of who remained standing. Haddin's side had spurned an opportunity to keep their season alive, and he knew it. Chasing a middling total of 163 from the only team below them in the ladder, the batting lacked fluency, and wickets fell too regularly. Heat dropped three simple catches to add to two tougher chances and still won with greater comfort than the eventual margin of six runs would suggest.
Heat showed improvement and appeared to have finally learnt to bat without a contribution from their outstanding captain Chris Lynn. Jimmy Peirson launched Jackson Bird's first ball onto the roof of the pavilion before miscuing a heave to backward point. Three overs later, Lynn pulled flat and holed out to deep square-leg for only 1.
Heat needed their senior players to step up, and Lendl Simmons and Joe Burns duly added 73 together. Simmons played a deft, occasionally brutal hand, cute late cuts contrasting with booming drives through cover and over long-on. In a bid to accelerate, Simmons went after Johan Botha's third over, bisecting the field at cow corner for four, then driving aerially towards Jordan Silk, who threw himself up at long-on, but could only parry it over the boundary for a six. One shot too many, however, saw Doug Bollinger catch Simmons at long-off.
Burns pulled Botha beautifully in front of square for four next ball, then twice got down on one knee to send the South African for consecutive sixes the following over. Burns played a classy, off-side dominated knock, and was happy to soak dots, knowing that bad balls would come, but became the first of four wickets to an inspired spell from Sean Abbott at the death.
Like his team, Abbott had endured a BBL to forget. Eleven days after being butchered for 51 in 16 balls by Travis Head in one of the greatest T20 heists, Abbott was not called to bowl until the 18th over of Heat's innings, on Sunday. In his two overs, Abbott did not concede a boundary, and picked up three wickets, while his final ball resulted in a run-out.
Despite fine, calm hands from two of their most experienced batsman, Lumb and Haddin, and some shoddy fielding, Sixers came up short. Ed Cowan never got going, and debutant Nick Larkin struggled. Abbott earned a promotion, but looked turgid. Haddin, though, gave his side some hope when he joined Lumb.
Haddin was strong as ever in front of square and targeted the legspin of Mitch Swepson, whose outfoxing of Larkin and Silk was enough to earn tweeted praise from Shane Warne. Swepson then dropped Haddin on 26 in an ugly fashion at long-off off Floros, who bowled Lumb next ball. Haddin was shelled again on 32, this time by Simmons at deep square-leg. Soon after, however, Haddin was caught well at gully.
With Haddin's wicket, went Sixers' last hopes. "I don't put it down to injuries," was Haddin's blunt assessment. "We have not won those big moments we have become known for," he said.
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