Ashton Turner’s first half-century of the season helped his Perth Scorchers solidify their place at the top of the KFC BBL | 11 ladder with a clinical display against the defending champions.
Chasing a modest 152 for the win, the Scorchers skipper controlled the pursuit early in his heats and softened the impact of Pakistani star Shadab Khan on ground that offered plenty of turns for Coffs Harbor.
The 28-year-old was out for 69 on 41 balls with 17 points to finish in 16th, but young all-rounder Aaron Hardie kept his cool as Perth walked home through five wickets with more to spare.
With captain Mosies Henriques and Sean Abbott missing due to COVID, and Steve O’Keefe with a finger injury, the Sixers won the toss and opted to strike first at C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Sunday night.
Josh Philippe (32) and Justin Avendano got off to a promising start with an open position of 56 before both falling in the same direction to spinner star Ashton Agar.
The Scorchers had their own COVID issues with New Zealand international Colin Munro – BBL’s second-highest scorer | 11 so far – who has contracted the virus and speedy star Jason Behrendorff has been ruled out as close contact.
Avendano, a local replacement player who became the first to represent two male BBL clubs in the same season after two games for the COVID-affected Melbourne Stars last week, notched his tournament-best score with 23 (22) , which included a huge six off Hagar on the roof of the grandstand.
It was tough for Jack Edwards (8), Sixers substitute skipper Daniel Hughes and Jordan Silk (26) in the middle as they tried to rekindle the heats with the Spinners Agar (2-23 of 4 ) and Peter Hatzoglou (1-21 against 3) extracting a lot of rebound and turn from the field.
The Sixers added just 34 points between the seven and 15 before Hughes broke the chains with the first limit in 47 balls with a six in 15.
The Sixers took the surge next time around to try and raise the bar, but that only caused Hughes (24) to wicket at one point in Agar.
They scored 16 goals in the two-man power play before a late appearance from Dan Christian (35 of 20 balls) helped the Sixers post a competitive 4-151 over their 20 overs.
Silk and Christian set up an unbroken 50-wicket fifth-wicket partnership with 47 of those coming from the last four overs, which included a monster six by the veteran allrounder on a waist-high no-ball thrown by AJ Tye that required referees to look for a new Kookaburra.
‘Oh. My. Word’! Aaron Hardie’s Super Shot Marks Tonight’s BKT Golden Moment | # BBL11 pic.twitter.com/PzcZLmf2Fm
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 9, 2022
In response, the Scorchers lost openers Kurtis Patterson and Cameron Bancroft in back-to-back deliveries to left arm Ben Dwarshuis with the score of 17.
Dwarshuis returned five times later, but failed in his efforts to become the Sixers’ first pitcher to win a BBL treble.
In between, Ashton Turner kicked off the Scorchers chase by establishing a crucial 91-point partnership with a fourth wicket with Hardie, 23 (35).
It was a much needed captain’s move for Turner whose BBL | 11 best precedent was 28.
Perth has now widened a six-point gap to the top of the standings, while the Sixers remain third, four points behind the Sydney Thunder who have won their last five games.
The Scorchers then face the bottom of the Melbourne Stars table in Geelong on Tuesday afternoon, while the Sixers also face the Renegades in the same venue that night.
