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The Perth Scorchers rode on skipper Ashton Turner's fiery 69-run blitz as they took revenge for last season's Big Bash League grand final defeat to the Sydney Sixers in a cracker of a contest in Coffs Harbour on Sunday (January 9).
Scorchers easily chased down the 152-run target set by Sydney with five wickets to spare as another Ashton - Ashton Agar (2/23) played the second fiddle with his impressive bowling. Those two wickets also took him past 100 BBL career scalps.
The Scorchers started the chase poorly after losing two wickets in two Ben Dwarshius balls, falling to 2/17 in the third over.
Kurtis Patterson tried to pull him and lobbed one to a retreating Dan Christian, while Cameron Bancroft stepped back and chopped the ball down onto his own stumps. Laurie Evans was then dismissed by Pakistani spinner Shadab Khan, sweeping one directly to Jack Edwards’ waiting hands in the deep, to leave the Scorchers 3/44 in the seventh over.
But then comes Turner who turned the tide with his magnificent 69 off 41 which was loaded with two big ones and seven boundaries.
The chase could have derailed further had Turner been caught the following over. Turner – at this stage on 11 - top-edged a slog sweep off Todd Murphy’s bowling that went directly behind the keeper to Jackson Bird, who made a diving attempt but completely missed the ball.
Later, on 41, Turner was dropped by Hughes as he skied a Dwarshuis ball.
Hughes ran back from mid off with a diving catch to take the dropping ball, but he snatched at the ball and it popped out of his hands.
Hughes made amends - off Bird’s bowling no less – as he caught Turner on the boundary for 69. But the Scorchers, with 135/4, were already home and hosed by that point.
Aaron Hardie (35 off 31) fell in the 19th over to leave the Scorchers 144/5, but Ashton Agar and Chris Sabburg comfortably guided the WA side home with an over and five wickets to spare.
The Scorchers restricted the Sixers to 151/4 after the Sixers won the bat flip and elected to bat first. Jordan Silk (26 not out off 22) and Dan Christian (35 not out off 20) again provided some late resistance for the Sydney side to help post a defendable total but their efforts went in vain in the end.
