Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers, live stream, live blog, how to watch, scoreboard, videos, Josh Philippe, Mitch Marsh
The Scorchers dominate their qualifying final with the Sixers at Marvel Stadium after Sydney was rocked by a double scratch due to injury and a RAT test.
The Scorchers went 3-189 from 20 overs after winning the coin toss and striking first at Marvel Stadium, with Josh Inglis leading with 79 after a record opening partnership with Kurtis Patterson.
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Patterson smashed his fourth half of the tournament, including four fours and two sixes from just 33 balls to set the tone for the Scorchers innings.
However, he was outplayed by his opening partner who completed a half-century of 32 balls, including four fours and a towing six.
Patterson and Inglis’ 120-run opening partnership was a record for the Scorchers in a final and set the team up for a monster total.
Patterson was eventually out for 64 of 41 balls when he was caught by Dan Christian bowling Hayden Kerr.
Inglis was finally puzzled by Josh Philippe on an intentional wide from Steve O’Keefe in the 18th, but not before breaking 79 of 50 balls, including nine fours and a six.
Mitch Marsh broke 28 of 21 balls, including four to four, before being caught by Moises Henriques to give Kerr his second scalp of the night.
Kerr finished with numbers 2-37 to take his tally for the season to 24 wickets.
On the eve of the game, the Sixers were rocked by the news that fly-half Jack Edwards had been forced into solitary confinement just before the bat flip after his brother Mickey’s RAT result was “inconclusive”.
Sixers star Daniel Hughes was also injured hitting high balls on the boundary line during the game’s warm-up, casting doubt on his ability to take the field.
Hughes was officially ruled out on the eve of the first ball with an ankle injury with Nick Bertus to make his debut in place.
“Daniel Hughes is missing from the final tonight,” Kath Laughnan said on Fox Cricket.
“It was his ankle that he injured during the warm-up when he tripped over the limit rope.
“Nick Bertus will come from the player replacement pool and will make his debut for the club tonight.”
Laughlan also revealed that Hughes’ injury could see him miss the rest of the series finale.
“He’ll have to go for CT scans, but speaking to Sixers medical staff, there’s a chance Hughes won’t play again this season,” Laughlan said.
The horror start was complicated by the BBL’s call to block Steve Smith’s bid to play in the final series, with Nathan Lyon expressing his disdain for the decision.
“I think it’s ridiculous not to have our best players in the BBL final,” Lyon said.
“It’s ridiculous and I’m happy to say it. I don’t know if there will be any repercussions, but it’s ridiculous.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Top of the table Perth host second-placed Sydney Sixers in a blockbuster final at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, with the Scorchers winning the flip bat and batting first.
The winner will advance to the next round of Finals and go straight to the Finals while the loser will have to beat the winner of the Thunder’s clash with the Strikers to advance to the Finals on Friday, January 28.
The Scorchers have been the in-form team all season, losing just three games in their 14 regular season encounters.
The Sixers have lost four games in the regular season but are the two-time defending champions and have the advantage of experience as they go for an all-time treble.
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Mitch Marsh and Colin Munro have been the Scorchers’ best batsmen, while Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye will be the dangerous men with the ball.
Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques were the Sixers’ top scorers, while Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis were in rare form with the ball.
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The Sixers are still reeling from the decision to bar Australian star Steve Smith from the final series and will have a point to prove against the searing Scorchers.
This sets the stage for a tantalizing clash between the two competition heavyweights with a place in the 2022 BBL Finals up for grabs.
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