BBL 2016/17: 5 best moments from the Perth Scorchers-Sydney Sixers match

Sydney Sixers moved to the top of the table after a six-wicket victory over Perth Scorchers at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the Big Bash League. Though both teams came into the contest with contrasting results from last week – Scorchers started on a winning note with a massive 48-run victory at home against the Adelaide Strikers, whereas Sydney Sixers had crashed to a heavy 60-run defeat against the Hobart Hurricanes – Sixers had the measure of the Scorchers today.

Following an indifferent start after winning the toss and opting to bat, the Scorchers posted a total of 130 through a recovery act from Mitchell Marsh. In Sixers’ reply, Sam Billings starred with a brisk 40. However, Johan Botha, who hit the winning runs, was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ for his handy contributions with bat and ball in the low-scoring encounter.Brief Scores: Perth Scorchers – 130/8 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 31(29), Sam Whiteman 28(16); William Somerville 2/10(2), Sean Abbott 2/30(4));Sydney Sixers – 132/4 18 overs (Sam Billings 40(30), Johan Botha 30*(19), Andrew Tye 3/15(4))

---

#5 Scorchers fail to live up to their name at the start

The Scorchers’ openers were unable to get their team off to a good start

Openers Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger didn’t exactly scorch the turf at Sydney after the Perth Scorchers won the toss and opted to bat first. Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques started by employing spinners from both ends to deny the batsmen pace to work with during the powerplay.

The ploy worked as the Scorchers’ opening pair found it difficult to get off the blocks. The spin duo of Johan Botha and Steve O’ Keefe bowled tidily and the Scorchers could manage only 15 halfway through the powerplay. Though they didn’t find a breakthrough, the pressure they had built up at the start had a telling effect throughout the Scorchers innings.

As soon as pace was introduced in the form of Doug Bollinger, the batsmen started to go for their strokes. Having run out of patience, they perished in quick succession. Shaun Marsh holed out to deep square-leg off Bollinger’s bowling, while Klinger followed in the very next over, chipping spinner Somerville to Bollinger at point.

#4 Bell’s poor shot-selection

Ian Bell wasted a good start with an ill-advised shot selection

Despite a shaky start, the Scorchers would have banked on Ian Bell to take them to safe shores. The England batsman was in supreme touch during his 42-ball 61 in his previous innings against the Adelaide Strikers and had gotten off to a fluent start today as well.

Therefore, in spite of being reduced to 79/4 by the 12^th over, the reassuring presence of Ian Bell and Mitchell Marsh at the crease should have calmed any nerves in the Scorchers’ room. However, such hopes were quickly extinguished by a rash shot selection by Bell.

Batting on 21, Bell attempted a premeditated reverse sweep off the bowling of spinner Somerville, only to top-edge it straight to the fielder at short third-man.

#3 Mitchell marshals the lower order

Mitchell Marsh steadied the sinking ship with a handy knock of 31

With the exit of Bell and with half the Scorchers side back in the pavilion, Mitchell Marsh was left with the responsibility of either counter-attacking or at the least, marshalling the lower order to ensure that they bat out the full quota of 20 overs and achieve a defendable target.

Though he was not at his best as far as his big-hitting ability is concerned, Marsh still gutsed it out in the middle, successfully farming the strike from the lower order, and his 29-ball unbeaten 31 was good enough under the circumstances, to take them to 130.

#2 Tye ties down the Sixers’ charge

Despite ending on the losing side, Andrew Tye starred for the Scorchers with excellent bowling figures of 3/15 from his 4 overs

In the absence of rested pacer Mitchell Johnson, it was left to Andrew Tye to make the most of the target. And deliver he did with a clever mix of pace and length. In a superb display of T20 bowling, Tye returned figures of 3/15 off his 4 overs.

Brad Haddin was deceived by a cleverly disguised knuckleball (slower delivery) bowled outside off and moving away. The in-form Henriques was trapped plumb in front by a yorker length delivery angled towards middle and leg. Later, Jordan Silk too fell prey to Tye’s knuckleball.

#1 Botha finishes off in style

Player of the Match Johan Botha celebrates after hitting the winning runs

30 runs with the bat and a solitary wicket may not turn heads on most days, forget being termed ‘match-winning’. But Johan Botha’s contributions with bat and ball were pivotal in today’s match between the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers.

Operating with the new ball, Botha stemmed the flow of runs during the powerplay overs with a tidy display of bowling, finishing with figures of 1/26 off his 4 overs. With the bat, Botha’s innings was crucial in taking the Sixers safely to victory without further hiccups after the dismissal of captain Henriques.

The Sixers were chasing just about run a ball at that stage but the likes of Tye were drying up the runs. He bided that phase of good bowling and later finished the match with a flurry of strokes, hitting Jhye Richardson for a four, six and a four to finish the match with 12 balls to spare.