Perth Scorchers Vs Brisbane Heat Final 04 February 2023

Final • Perth Stadium • Perth

Brisbane Heat

175/7 (20)

Perth Scorchers

178/5 (19.2)

PS won by 5 wickets

Info

Fantasy

Live

Scorecard

Playing XI

Player of the Match Ashton Turner

53(32)

HEA

Info

Brisbane Heat

175/7 (20)

Batters

Josh Brown

208.33

c A Tye b DA Payne

Sam Heazlett

113.33

c DA Payne b JP Behrendorff

Nathan McSweeney

110.81

c CT Bancroft b AM Hardie

Jimmy Peirson

100.00

c M Kelly b JP Behrendorff

Sam Hain

131.25

Not out

Max Bryant

221.43

c J Inglis b M Kelly

Michael Neser

0.00

c J Inglis b M Kelly

James Bazley

83.33

c S Eskinazi b A Tye

Xavier Bartlett

600.00

Not out

Extras

(B: 0, LB: 2, NB: 0, W: 7)

TOTAL

(20 Ov, RR: 8.75)

175/7

Did not Bat

Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann

Bowlers

EXT

6.50

9.25

9.25

9.00

4.00

10.50

Fall Of Wickets

SCORE

OVER

Josh Brown

c A Tye b DA Payne

1-25

1.6

Sam Heazlett

c DA Payne b JP Behrendorff

2-104

12.1

Jimmy Peirson

c M Kelly b JP Behrendorff

3-108

12.5

Nathan McSweeney

c CT Bancroft b AM Hardie

4-117

14.4

Max Bryant

c J Inglis b M Kelly

5-159

18.3

Michael Neser

c J Inglis b M Kelly

6-159

18.4

James Bazley

c S Eskinazi b A Tye

7-169

19.5

Perth Scorchers

178/5 (19.2)

Batters

Stephen Eskinazi

110.53

runout (MA Bryant)

Cameron Bancroft

115.38

c MG Neser b M Kuhnemann

Aaron Hardie

130.77

c SD Heazlett b SH Johnson

Josh Inglis

118.18

c SD Heazlett b XC Bartlett

Ashton Turner

165.63

runout (JJ Peirson / SH Johnson)

Nick Hobson *

257.14

Not out

Cooper Connolly

227.27

Not out

Extras

(B: 0, LB: 2, NB: 1, W: 0)

TOTAL

(19.2 Ov, RR: 9.13)

178/5

Did not Bat

Matthew Kelly, Andrew Tye, David Payne, Jason Behrendorff

Bowlers

EXT

Michael Neser

3.2

11.40

7.75

9.25

10.50

7.00

Fall Of Wickets

SCORE

OVER

Stephen Eskinazi

runout (MA Bryant)

1-32

4.2

Cameron Bancroft

c MG Neser b M Kuhnemann

2-48

6.6

Aaron Hardie

c SD Heazlett b SH Johnson

3-54

7.5

Josh Inglis

c SD Heazlett b XC Bartlett

4-134

16.3

Ashton Turner

runout (JJ Peirson / SH Johnson)

5-137

16.5

Match Info

Date & Time

04 Feb, 02:00 PM IST

Venue

Perth Stadium

Match

Final,

Big Bash League

Umpires

Paul Wilson (Australia), Sam Nogajski (Australia), Gerard Abood (Australia, TV)

Referee

Dave Gilbert (Australia)

Toss

Brisbane Heat elected to bat

Player of the Match Ashton Turner

53(32)

Commentary

And so, the curtains come down on yet another Big Bash League season. We witnessed so much this year - from a team being rolled over for 15 to another chasing down 230. From teams vaulting themselves out of the abyss to surge into the knockouts, to the Scorchers maintaining their rich legacy at the end of it all. The BBL will return in the form of a shortened version next season and at a time when it's at a tipping point, you'd have to say this was the kind of finale it needed. It was a sheer pleasure bringing the coverage of it all to you here on Sportskeeda and we can't thank you enough for tuning in for the same. Of course, there is no stoppage to cricketing action from around the globe to stick around here on this very platform and catch up on it all. For the moment though, thanking you for joining us is the duo of Pratyush Rohra and Sooryanarayanan Sesha. See you around soon - buh-bye for now and have a cracking weekend!

But tonight belongs to the Perth Scorchers. No Mitchell Marsh? No problem. No Laurie Evans? No worries sire! They still had enough at their disposal to dominate the league phase and march into the knockouts at the top of the table. There was no Cameron Green, Jhye Richardson or Ashton Agar to call upon either for the big games but they too will rejoice, with the rest of their colleagues doing the needful and getting the job done. This is a special win for the ages and a special finale to savor!

Definitely a season to be proud of for the Brisbane Heat. Spare a thought for them - they were down and out and were staring down the barrel of an early exit. Yet somehow, they punched above their weight and scripted a phenomenal turnaround to make the knockouts, stave off the Sydney Sixers without three of their superstars including Marnus Labuschagne, and then came within touching distance of holding the trophy aloft. Alas, they succumbed to pressure in certain critical moments but given that this is a young list they have, this is an experience that will hold them in great stead in time to come. And of course, potentially set the tone for a fine core that could come back to the summit clash and go one step better.

Great effort boys, so close and a season to be proud of. @HeatBBL

Congrats @ScorchersBBL on back to back titles. 🏆
— Marnus Labuschagne (@marnus3cricket) February 4, 2023

And now, with confetti bursting in the background, skipper Ashton Turner and head coach Adam Voges receive the BBL 12 trophy. And they hold it aloft before the entire team basks in glory with it. Five-time champions! My goodness, that is quite something! Beyond an iota of doubt, the standout team of this tournament and one of the greatest T20 teams to have graced the format. And how fitting is it that young Cooper Connolly is handed the trophy after the team breaks from the dais - we might be witnessing a poetic moment that announces the arrival of the future!

The Scorchers' players come up one by one to collect their medals from the young mascots at the Perth Stadium. A huge roar follows for each of them as their called onto the dais. And unsurprisingly, the loudest roar is reserved for Cooper Connolly! Oh the kind of ice he must have in his veins!

Jimmy Peirson (Brisbane Heat captain): First of all, thank you to the crowd for coming out in such huge numbers. 54,000 people to watch the final, it was a surreal experience. Congratulations to AT (Ashton Turner) and the Scorchers. Fantastic final tonight. Y'all have been the best team in this tournament and deserve to win it. We've come a long way this season with a lot of ups and downs. For the wins we had and a lot of talent we found to get together. Hopefully, we can do it all again and come back stronger next year.

Ashton Turner is the Player of the Match. Here is what the Perth Scorchers captain has to say: Look, it's a surreal feeling. You play a lot of games but you never know how it's going to pan out. The support has been overwhelming in this city and in this stadium, especially in the final. We've got a lot of guys in form and a lot of them contributed throughout the year to play an exciting brand of cricket. We've got a never say die attitude and that stays with the boys till the end, like we showed it today.

The Perth Scorchers captain, Ashton Turner, is overcome with emotion. What an atmosphere it is right now. Let's get some more reactions from the middle:

Andrew Tye: Unbelievable! Credit to the Heat, they put up a decent score. It's all down to the 19-20-year-old, who came out in his third or fourth game and bashed it around. Unreal. This is up there with one of the best wins for us, with the crowd behind us. I watched most of the game from the dugout. The energy on the bench when Cooper started off settled our nerves and when Hobo sent that for six, it was brilliant.

Jason Behrendorff: To play in front of 54,000 people in this run chase. It was unbelievable. I was pretty nervous when Turner got out and it seemed tough but Cooper. He came out and did what he did at 19 years of age. Unbelievable. He knows he can do it, we know he can do it and now everyone does. We love playing with each other. We've kept the group together for a long time.

Let's get some reactions in straightaway. Starting with the men of the moment:

Nick Hobson: Cooper came out and did it straight away. He's got a massive future in the game if he can do that. Massive win. Couldn't be happier. What an atmosphere. Cooper came out to me and said, 'mate just stay still'.

Cooper Connolly: Nick Hobson was pretty good for me. He told me to keep a steady base. Got some out for a six and four, and that gave me confidence. Unbelievably happy. This crowd is so good, couldn't have asked for anything better. We're a strong group and we all chip in. That's what we did today. It's so special. I've been in and out of the team, but to win it in front of the crowd is a special feeling and a dream come true.

Match Summary: Perth Scorchers lift their fifth Big Bash League crown with a 5-wicket win.

Ashton Turner 53 (32) | Jason Behrendorff 2/26 (4)
Nathan McSweeney 41 (37) | Matthew Kuhnemann 1/28 (4)

OH. MY. WORD! If there ever had to be a standard to set for a fitting final, this is right up there. Not once was the result set in stone. Not once was it a foregone conclusion. Surely not after the Brisbane Heat put up 175 on the board, but in front of a massive crowd of over 53,000, the Scorchers have pulled off a Houdini act.

They needed a good start and Stephen Eskinazi gave them one. But had the Scorchers not gone on to clinch this one, the manner in which he ran himself out in the most casual manner would have stung incredibly hard by now. The Heat used that window of opportunity to tighten the screws and with the pressure of the asking rate getting to the home side, both Cameron Bancroft and Aaron Hardie holed out.

That brought who else, but Ashton Turner into the spotlight again. Whenever he's been put under pressure, he has managed to stand tall and deliver. And yet again, he did it at the most crucial time of asking for his side. Rotating the strike around with a scratchy-looking Josh Inglis, he kept the game afloat and ensured that the asking rate didn't escalate to gargantuan proportions. And of course, he began toying around with the field in a manner that only he could have.

Slowly but surely, the crowd came to life again as Turner racked up another half-century on the big night. Having maximized the Power Surge, it seemed as though the Scorchers would race towards the target until disaster struck with the double-whammy that saw both Inglis and Turner out within no time. The latter's dismissal came owing to a calamitous mix-up with Nick Hobson and it seemed as though it was the final nail in the coffin...

...until Cooper Connolly decided that there was some unfinished business to complete. Jimmy Peirson's move to turn to James Bazley ahead of Spencer Johnson and Michael Neser was a questionable one and Connolly tore into him to flip the game on its head. The Heat have wilted under pressure in the past with the bat in hand and this time, it was on the field as Connolly was dropped in the penultimate over. It was the 18th though where things changed as he racked up 18 runs off it. With 10 needed off the last, Hobson buried the ghosts of that mix-up with his skipper to seal it in style, sending his teammates, and the entire crowd into a frenzy! Phew! That was something!

The kings of the West are kings of Australia again! Look at the whole team storm onto the park! Goliath has prevailed or David...or has he? Because once Ashton Turner got out, it felt like a role-reversal. But wow, Perth Scorchers are five-time BBL champions and have gone back-to-back for the second time in BBL history!

19.3 Michael Neser to Nick Hobson, FOUR! PERTH SCORCHERS ARE FIVE-TIME CHAMPIONS OF THE BBL! Pandemonium at the Optus Stadium as Perth clinch a final for the ages! Not the best of final overs from Neser, dishing out another high full toss outside off. Might have been a no-ball but it doesn't matter because it was sliced over short third to send the crowd and the Scorchers on cloud nine. Perth Scorchers win by 5 wickets with 4 balls to spare.

NICK HOBSON! Look at him roar and pump fists with Connolly! Perth Scorchers need 3 runs off 4 deliveries...

19.2 Michael Neser to Nick Hobson, SIX! THE SCORCHERS HAVE ONE HAND ON THE TROPHY, SURELY? Neser dishes out another full toss at knee height this time. Hobson crouches low and clobbers it over mid-wicket to send the ball sailing over the ropes

An extra fielder is inside the inner ring. The over-rate penalty is in force from the looks of it!

19.1 Michael Neser to Cooper Connolly, searching for the yorker but it's a low full toss. Connolly smacks it down to long-on but it's only a single there

Fine leg is up. Over the wicket comes Neser...

Michael Neser [3.0-0-26-0] to bowl the final over of the tournament

Oh you can cut the tension with a knife at the Perth Stadium! This is turning into possibly the greatest BBL final we've seen and without a doubt, one of the greatest in the T20 format. Over seven weeks of intense action, 60 games and 39 overs later, it all comes down to this - Perth Scorchers require 10 runs off the last over to win BBL 12!