- Perth Scorchers defeat Brisbane Heat by five wickets to win championship.
- Teenager Cooper Connolly’s 53 off just 32 balls changes the course of game.
- A record 53,886 fans watched the game at Perth Stadium.
Perth Scorchers defeated Brisbane Heat on Saturday to win a record sixth Twenty20 Huge Bash League championship thanks to teen Cooper Connolly’s brave 53 and big hitting towards the end of the game.
After Brisbane put on 175-7, their fireworks pushed them to 178-5 and a thrilling five-wicket win with four balls remaining at Perth Stadium in front of a record 53,886 local supporters.
With Saturday’s victory, a team that defeated the Sydney Sixers in the season’s championship successfully defended their title for the fifth time in the competition’s brief 12-year history.
“It’s a surreal feeling. I’ve played a lot of games of cricket but you never know how it will pan out,” said man-of-the-match Turner after his 32-ball knock.
Party time in Perth 🏆 #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/vLGgTixaEU
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 4, 2023
“We are in rarified air at the moment, we have a lot of guys in form and that’s not always the case. A lot of guys have contributed to wins throughout the season.”
When Turner was run out following a terrible mix-up with Nick Hobson, leaving them requiring 39 needed off 19 balls, a victory appeared exceedingly improbable.
Connolly, a rising star, changed the course of the game by hitting 25 off of just 11 balls.
They needed 20 off the final 12 balls after he crushed 18 of those off a James Bazley over.
In order to win the victory, Hobson then hit a massive six followed by a no-ball five in the final over.
“At 19 (years old) to have this crowd cheer for me, couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s a dream come true,” said left-hander Connolly. “I had full confidence in myself.”
The match marked the end of a season that included nail-biting outcomes, contentious moments, standout individual performances, and more than one million spectators.
Perth won the right to play at home after dominating the regular season standings and defeating the Sixers last weekend in a qualifying game.
The Heat barely finished fifth and had to win three knockout games, all on the road, to advance to the championship.
Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, and Mitchell Swepson of the Heat all left earlier this week for Australia’s tour of India, leaving both teams severely undermanned.
The four-test Border-Gavaskar series, which begins on Thursday in Nagpur, prevented fast bowler Lance Morris and colleague Ashton Agar from playing for the Scorchers.
Josh Brown opened the batting for Heat captain Jimmy Peirson after winning the toss, smashing 25 off the first 11 balls.
However, his luck quickly ran out, as following Brisbane’s initial barrage, the Scorchers held Brisbane to a score of 86-1 by the halftime point.
Sam Heazlett was dismissed by Jason Behrendorff for 34, breaking a precarious 79-run stand with Nathan McSweeney and Peirson in the same over.
Before Max Bryant hit an aggressive 31 from 14 balls to ensure a manageable total, McSweeney was out for 41.
In reply, Cameron Bancroft was dismissed for 15 by Michael Neser after the Scorchers’ opener Stephen Eskinazi scored a quick 21 before being run out by a youngster.
They were shaky at 54-3 when Aaron Hardie went for 17 in the next over.
Turner and Josh Inglis, though, put on a strong 80 in 52 balls to secure the victory before Connolly and Hobson.
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