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Perth will prevail in ‘home’ BBL final at Canberra

27th January, 2015
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Brad Hogg was one of Australia's last Test Chinamen. (AAP Image/Lincoln Baker).
Roar Guru
27th January, 2015
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After another dominant season in the fourth iteration of the Big Bash League, the Perth Scorchers appear primed to become the first side to win back-to-back finals.

Despite the obvious setback of their ‘home’ final being playing in Canberra, due to ground restrictions for the World Cup, this minor hurdle will only galvanise the group in the quest for another BBL title.

While the Sydney Sixers’ star-studded attack pose a legitimate threat, as demonstrated by their stunning take down of the highly favoured Adelaide Strikers, the Scorchers boast a bowling line-up that has been the envy of the competition all season.

With the group set back by the loss of star left-arm quick Joel Paris to injury before the tournament, the Western Australia pace academy has continued to turn out star performers. Jason Behrendorff has been in sterling form throughout the 2014-15 season, while AJ Tye delivered a devastating spell to crush the Melbourne Stars in the semi-final.

Add to this the ageless Bradley George Hogg, wily import Yasir Arafat and the fiery pace of recently returned Nathan Coulter-Nile, and the Sixers batsmen face a formidable task.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two groups lies in their batting. The Sixers are often inconsistent with the bat, relying on a huge effort from one player to help them reach a decent total (such as Nic Maddinson against the Strikers). All their guns will need to fire if they are to overcome the Scorchers’ bowlers.

In contrast, we have seen more even performances displayed by the Scorchers’ batsmen, who have recovered well from the pre-season defection of gun opener Craig Simmons to the Strikers. Michael Carberry has been in strong form in recent games, and Coulter-Nile demonstrated his destructive capability with the bat in Sunday’s semi.

The Scorchers also have the bonus of Shaun Marsh hitting peak form at the pointy end of the T20 season, while their depth is on display with Ashton Agar relegated to the bench in their semi. Adam Voges is also due for a big score, and ‘keeper Sam Whiteman has also looked good in recent games.

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While the Sixers will be keen to send retiring great Brett Lee out with a bang, the consistency and smothering pressure demonstrated by the Scorchers all season are extremely difficult to overcome.

After making four consecutive Big Bash League finals, the Scorchers know what it takes to win on the big stage, and it will take more than a cross-country trek to stop them taking home the silverware tonight.

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