BBL|03’s second semi-final puts two teams with a bit of finals history together, providing the Scorchers with the perfect opportunity to avenge their BBL|01 Final loss to the Sixers.
The two teams have actually been very close all competition in terms of wins and points, with Perth’s last round loss to the Melbourne Stars denying them the opportunity to host a semi-final for the third straight season.
It’s been something of a disrupted build-up for both teams, too.
Sydney had so many players involved in so many different teams around the country (including the Australian and England squads, plus 2nd XI games) that some training sessions last week comprised less than half a dozen players.
Perth lost two players to internal disciplinary findings, and lost Shaun Marsh to the Test tour squad, too, before then ‘regaining’ him when he was ruled out of the tour for injury.
Remarkably, Marsh is considered a chance – albeit slim – of being fit for the BBL Final, should the Scorchers qualify.
The Scorchers have a nice little selection headache within their bowling ranks. The return of Nathan Coulter-Nile from national duty means one or maybe even two of Pat Cummins, Alfonso Thomas, Jason Behrendorff, Michael Beer or Brad Hogg will miss out.
All of them have been in decent form, and it will be a tough call for Justin Langer to make whichever way he goes.
The Sixers have lost Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon and Moises Henriques to the South African tour, while batsman Jordon Silk was ruled out of the BBL to injury a few weeks back.
Michael Lumb, Ravi Bopara, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will be back from national duty, while Stephen O’Keefe is rated some chance of being fit, incredibly, despite dislocating his shoulder 10 days ago in the Sydney Smash at Stadium Australia.
Former Scorcher and current WA batsman, Marcus North, will captain the Sixers in the absence of Smith, Henriques and Haddin.
Key Battle: Nic Maddinson v Jason Behrendorff
Two of the more promising young cricketers in Australia could well hold the key in this game, with both having the ability to dramatically shape the early stages of the Sixers’ batting innings.
Maddinson has every shot in the book, but perhaps hasn’t gone on with as many innings as he and his team would have liked.
Behrendorff has been the quiet assassin over in Perth, taking seven wickets at 25, and while he hasn’t been getting the headlines, his economy and strike rates are among the Scorchers’ best.
Our stats man, Lawrie Colliver, has made mention of his phenomenal ‘dot ball’ rate this summer, too.
Dark Horse: Brad Hogg
On one of the more favourable wickets for spin bowlers in Australia, and with the Sixers possibly going in to the match without a frontline spinner, we could be about to get a reminder of just how good Brad Hogg still is short-form cricket.
It’s astounding how many batsmen still can’t pick his wrong’un. Even more astounding, and despite blowing out a 43rd candle on Thursday, “Hoggy” said earlier this week that as long as he can keep playing in between, he’d like to keep playing for the Scorchers for another two BBL seasons!
Last Time
January 10, 2014 @ SCG: The game forever remembered as the ‘Super Over game’ was an otherwise garden variety Twenty20.
Two middle-order partnerships rescued the Sixers from a top order collapse, and had them cruising toward Perth’s total of 153.
Yasir Arafat produced a superb late spell, sparking a dramatic collapse of 4/29 in 22 balls, leaving the scores tied, and thrusting the game into the first Super Over decider in Australian domestic Twenty20 history.
But the Super Over was actually a bit of an anti-climax: Steve Smith was out first ball, Nic Maddinson managed a single from the second ball and Moises Henriques was out fourth ball, ending the Sixers’ ‘super innings’ at 2/1.
Adam Voges hit the first ball of Perth’s ‘super innings’ for four, and that was that. The Super Over decider was done in five balls.
Finals record
Sixers: Played 2; won 2. Best finish: BBL|01 Champions.
Scorchers: Played 4; won 2, lost 2. Best finish: beaten Finalist in BBL|01, and again in BBL|02.Teams
Sixers: Marcus North (c), Sean Abbott, Ravi Bopara, Trent Copeland, Mark Cosgrove, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Lalor, Brett Lee, Michael Lumb, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O’Keefe, Dan Smith, Mitch Starc.Scorchers: Simon Katich (c), Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Brad Hogg, Mitch Marsh, Craig Simmons, Alfonso Thomas, Ashton Turner, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman.
Facts and Figures
• The Sixers stormed into the semi-finals on the back of three straight wins, and finished with six wins overall. They remained unbeaten on the road, impressively, winning at the ‘Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Docklands and Stadium Australia. They went four and four at the toss, and four of their six wins came bowling first.• Sixers’ top performers in BBL|03: Moises Henriques topped the runs tally with 203 (ave 33.8), while Steven Smith and Michael Lumb both finished with strike rates of 130. Smith’s 65 against Perth in the Super Over game was the top score, while Lumb’s nine was the most sixes. With the ball, Josh Hazelwood was the standout, with 13 wickets (at 18), Marcus North was the only regular bowler to concede less than a run-a-ball (5.88) and Brett Lee’s 4/28 against the Scorchers in that same game were the best figures.
• The Scorchers started BBL|03 a bit slowly, winning only one of their first three games, but then won the next four on the trot. They finished with five wins and three losses, and were unbeaten at #theFurnace, which gives them plenty of motivation in this game, should Hobart pull off the upset in semi-final 1. Perth won the toss a whopping six times for the tournament, and batted every time. Four of their five wins came batting first, while they also chased down the Sydney Thunder.
• Scorchers’ top performers: Simon Katich and his broken finger were unstoppable in BBL|03, topping the runs with 282, more than a hundred clear of the next best. Cult hero Craig Simmons’ 163.5 was the best strike rate in the west, and his eight sixes was Perth’s best, all coming in the club highest score of 102. Pakistan import Yasir Arafat finished with 12 wickets, and his 4/24 were the best figures. The wily veteran, Brad Hogg, was the most economical Scorcher, conceding 6.19 rpo.
Broadcast: from 7:30pm AEDT on Channel Ten, and on Fairfax Radio Network.
Twitter: #BBL03
This preview was first published on the Big Bash League website under a new arrangement between The Roar and the BBL. Read the original article here.
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