The unbeaten Perth Scorchers are setting the tone in the Big Bash League (BBL) as they ran out winners for the third game running thanks to a terrific hundred from Mitchell Marsh. The player was in sensational form as he ended up scoring 100 not out. The heroics of Marsh also earned him the ‘Man of the Match’ award as Perth ran out winners by 53 runs.
The 31-year-old scored his maiden BBL hundred on the penultimate ball of the innings. Going into the final over of the innings, Marsh needed nine runs to complete his hundred. After initially starting the over at non-striker's end, on the second ball of the over Marsh got a couple to move on to 93. The next ball though was deposited into the stands to take his score to 99 before he raised the bat with a single on the next one.
Chasing 183 runs Hobart Hurricanes did manage to entertain the crowd but lost too many wickets to get anywhere near the target. The team won Bash point after 10 overs to get off the mark on points tally but faced a monumental collapse in final ten overs. Ben McDermott (41) did show some resilience in the middle overs but once he departed, the Hurricanes were no match for the opposition. All six bowlers used were amongst wicket-takers with Tymal Mills taking three.
It took only 60 balls for Marsh to complete his hundred after initially coming out to bat in the first over. The innings included six fours and five sixes. The T20 World Cup-winning member scored at a strike rate of 167. The sensational innings was well supported at the other end by Laurie Evans (40 off 24 deliveries) with whom he shared a 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Marsh became the fifth Scorchers batter to score hundred in BBL.
Marsh’s teammate Collin Munro who was dismissed for a duck earlier scored the first hundred of the BBL. Perth are well placed as they sit top of the pile in BBL having beaten beaten Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers. Interestingly, Perth's both wins came when they batted first, as setting the target was a pattern well followed in the third consecutive match.
The Australian all-rounder has been in terrific form for both club and country. He was an important member of the team that won the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November this year. The talented right-handed batter scored 77 not out in the final of the T20 World Cup 2021 to take Australia to their maiden title win in the mega event. His heroics didn’t go unnoticed as he was awarded ‘Man of the Match’ in the final.
