The Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars will kick off the BBL06 finals series, meeting for an incredible fifth time in semi-finals across the six seasons.
Quite remarkably, both sides have made the semi-final stage in all six Big Bash League seasons to date, albeit with mixed success. Perth have played in four BBL Finals and were Champions the first two seasons, while the Stars infamously lost four consecutive semi-finals before making their maiden Final last season (which also didn’t go well).
Perth Scorchers
The Scorchers finished top of the table on Net Run Rate, winning five of their eight games overall, but splitting their home games at the WACA two and two.
They started the season off well, with a big win at home to knock off Adelaide in the last game before Christmas, but then split their road trip immediately after the short break, falling in a heap chasing a low Sydney Sixers total but recovering to run down the Melbourne Renegades.
And this became a pattern. They were way too strong for the Sydney Thunder at home, but then lost to Brisbane by nine wickets despite posting 173 batting first in Perth. A week later, they atoned by bowling the Heat out at the ‘Gabba, despite only making 156 themselves.
A semi-final spot looked assured at this point, but the Scorchers made themselves work for it. They lost a low-scoring affair to the Stars at home, but then won big in Hobart last Saturday to secure the home semi.
Melbourne Stars
The Stars started the season as favourites in my season preview, and rewarded that confidence with a four-and-four season best personified by former Australian quick Ben Hilfenhaus, who going into a game you were never sure if hero-Hilf or dunce-Hilf would take the field.
‘Green-Melbourne’ also started well, also winning big in Hobart, but then lost the MCG leg of the Melbourne Derby to the Renegades after Messrs Duckworth and Lewis had their say. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they lost to the Thunder in Sydney, with Eoin Morgan putting the Hilf back over his head to win off the last ball.
They posted their highest score of the tournament and took nine red-Melbourne wickets to square the Derby at Docklands, and pushed this streak out to three straight wins; beating Adelaide by two wickets, and making short work of the Scorchers in Perth, winning by seven wickets.
From there, they blew a chance to finish top of the table, losing their last two games to Brisbane and falling in a slightly bigger heap than the Sydney Sixers managed last Saturday.
Who made ‘em, and who took ‘em
The leading players for both sides, by the numbers.
Key players
Shaun Marsh will be the main man for the home side. Having just earned a national call-up for the ODI tour of New Zealand, a call-up that means he’ll miss the BBL Final should Perth qualify, Marsh will be wanting to make his contribution for the Final by ensuring his team gets there.
The numbers above show it hasn’t been the most productive of tournaments for him, albeit injury-interrupted, but the way he hit the ball last weekend in Hobart was ominously good. If he goes big, the WACA crowd will be in the game, and the Scorchers will be that much harder again to beat.
For the Stars, and I can’t imagine saw this being the case pre-tournament, but Rob Quiney is the man. Kevin Pietersen can be a match-winner, but it will be because of the platform Quiney lays down at the top pf the order.
For a man best known for making that “very polished 9” on Test Debut, Quiney has had an outstanding BBL06, and only Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum better his strike rate of the top run-scorers. If Quiney goes big, the Stars go big, and that will allow the likes of Pietersen and co to kick on in the final overs.
Head to head
Overall: played 10 – Scorchers 4, Stars 6
At the WACA: played 6 – three wins each (this surprised me)
Last meeting: Game 26; January 14, at the WACA – Scorchers 7/134 lost to the Stars 3/137
Finals record
Overall in finals: played 4 – Scorchers 3, Stars 1 (all semi-finals)
Last Finals meeting: BBL05 second SF, at the MCG – Scorchers 7/139 lost to the Stars 3/140
Tip – Perth Scorchers
Despite the Stars having Perth’s measure in recent outings, I think they’ve been too inconsistent in BBL06.
Perth have been up and down, mind you, but I think they come into the Finals with more momentum. The Scorchers have a better-performing batting order, and their bowling is more adaptable and dynamic. Plus, there’s the Stars’ record in semi-finals; that has to be in the back of their minds.
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