Big Bash League 2022: Perth Scorchers thrash Sydney Sixers to clinch record fourth title

Before the start of the 2022 Big Bash League final, the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers were tied with three titles each. It was fitting that the two most successful teams in the history of Australia’s T20 tournament were competing with each other at Docklands, Melbourne. But, in a one-sided final, it was the Perth Scorchers that showed their class to create history. A blazing 76 by Laurie Evans, combined with skipper Ashton Turner’s 54 and Andrew Tye’s three wickets for eight runs gave Perth Scorchers a whopping 79-run win against the Sydney Sixers. This was their fourth Big Bash League title and it denied Sydney Sixers the chance to achieve a rare hat-trick of titles.

In a way, 2021/22 Big Bash League summer summed up the dominance of the Perth Scorchers. They had topped the league table with  11 wins out of 14 matches. They had won six consecutive matches before their streak was halted by the Sydney Thunder in Canberra. In fact, in the entire Big Bash League this edition, Perth Scorchers did not win against the Sydney Thunder. Their only other loss was against the Adelaide Strikers when the playoff stage was hotting up. In the end, their four wins against the Sydney Sixers showed which team was the best T20 side in Australia at the moment.

Read – Steve Smith Denied Permission to play in Big Bash League due to THIS reason

Laurie Evans, Ashton Turner revive Perth Scorchers

Sydney Sixers chose to bowl and their decision paid rewards immediately. Jackson Bird sent back the in-form Kurtis Patterson for 1 as Perth Scorchers started poorly. Josh Inglis got going with a boundary and he benefited from a dropped catch by Sean Abbott off Hayden Kerr. But, Inglis did not capitalise and he was stumped off the bowling off Steve O’Keefe for 13. When Nathan Lyon sent back Mitchell Marsh for 5 and Colin Munro for 1, Perth Scorchers were in big trouble at 25/4.

With their key power hitters gone, it seemed a tall task for Perth Scorchers. But, Ashton Turner and Laurie Evans turned up at the right moment. Turner turned the momentum with a four off Nathan Lyon but in the ninth over bowled by O’Keefe, the game changed. Evans blasted a six and two fours as 19 runs came off the over.

Evans pounced on the momentum and hit boundaries frequently. When Perth Scorchers took the power surge, Turner smashed two fours off Kerr to set the stage on fire. Turner was dropped on 44 off Dan Christian but Evans notched up his fifty with a big six. The Perth Scorchers skipper notched up his fifty with a six off O’Keefe but he fell in the same over.

Evans then pummeled another six and Ashton Agar got going with two fours off Lyon. He pumped a six off Ben Dwarshius as Perth Scorchers recovered to 171/6 in the end.

Sydney Sixers collapse against Perth Scorchers

Sydney Sixers, just like the Perth Scorchers, started badly with Jason Behrendorff dismissing Hayden Kerr cheaply. Daniel Hughes and Nicholas Bertus tried to increase the scoring with a couple of boundaries but the captain struck again. Turner sent back Bertus for 15 and Sydney Sixers lost momentum.

Ashton Agar removed the veteran Moises Henriques to pile on the woes for the Sydney Sixers. Andrew Tye put the contest in Perth Scorchers’ hands when he sent back Dan Christian cheaply. Daniel Hughes kept the fight going as he neared his fifty with a six off Agar. When Peter Hatzoglou sent back Justin Avendano, Sydney Sixers relied on Hughes.

Hughes had been plagued with an ankle injury and running became hard for him. In fact, prior to the final, Sydney Sixers were struggling to get 11 fit players in the team. That is what prompted Dan Christian to release a placard calling for 11 fit players. But, the way how they collapsed would not have made any difference. Sean Aboott and Ben Dwarshius fell to Tye while Jhye Richardson took the other wickets.

It was a great end to the Big Bash League that grappled with the coronavirus pandemic in the earlier stage. Fittingly, the team that dominated the entire tournament won the Big Bash League.