Perth Scorchers, the most successful team in BBL history, kicked off their new season with an exciting five-wicket victory over Sydney Sixers in a rain-impacted tournament opener on Sunday, December 14. The game, reduced to 11 overs per side, saw the Sixers post 113/5, a target that the Scorchers chased down with five balls to spare, thanks to a blistering half-century from Cooper Connolly.
After rain delayed the start, the match finally got underway at 5:35 PM. The Scorchers made an early impact, with Aaron Hardie dismissing Daniel Hughes on the third ball of the match. While Josh Philippe hit a couple of boundaries to get the Sixers going, BBL debutant Babar Azam struggled and fell cheaply for just 2, caught pulling a shot. Despite the boundaries, the Scorchers maintained the pressure, striking regularly and keeping the Sixers under control.
Jack Edwards and Lachlan Shaw provided a late surge for the Sixers, with both batters attacking fiercely in the final five overs. Shaw was dismissed in the penultimate over, but Edwards remained unbeaten on 46, helping the Sixers reach a competitive total of 113/5.
The Scorchers responded strongly in their chase. Babar Azam made up for his earlier failure with a brilliant catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh for a duck. However, Connolly wasted no time getting into his stride, launching a six on just his third ball. Finn Allen supported well, hitting a couple of sixes off Edwards, as the Scorchers kept the pressure on the Sixers.
After Allen’s dismissal, Hardie continued to find the boundary, maintaining the required rate. When Hardie was dismissed, the match was finely poised, but Connolly took charge once more, hitting consecutive sixes off Todd Murphy and bringing up his fifty. Although Connolly fell just short of finishing the game, Ashton Turner completed the chase comfortably, leading the Scorchers to a rollicking start to their campaign.
Brief Scores:
- Sydney Sixers: 113/5 in 11 overs (Jack Edwards 46*, Josh Philippe 28; Brody Couch 2/12)
- Perth Scorchers: 117/5 in 10.1 overs (Cooper Connolly 59; Ben Dwarshuis 2/36)
Result: Perth Scorchers won by 5 wickets.
