Perth to host Hobart in the unlikely BBL Final

Fifty days and 34 matches after the third edition of the Big Bash League kicked off, we’re down to the final that not too many people saw coming.

After winning through the semi-finals on foreign territory against more fancied opponents, the third-placed Perth Scorchers – in their third consecutive BBL Final at home – will host the fourth-placed Hobart Hurricanes.

The 2013/2014 Big Bash League has been a raging success on its new free-to-air home. The average television audience has been upwards of 900,000 people nationally for the tournament; nearly four times that of BBL|02, which was broadcast exclusively on Pay-TV.

And despite the semi-finals achieving crowds of less than 13,000, the crowds for BBL|03 have been excellent. Across the 34 games played, the average attendance has been upwards of 19,000, up several thousand on BBL|02.

Record crowds were achieved at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, as well as in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The Strikers achieved four sold out games at the Adelaide Oval, which is phenomenal.

Along with record crowds, we’ve seen record scores. Before this season, there had only been two completed innings top the 200 mark in the Big Bash League, and they both came in BBL|01.

In BBL|03, there were six scores over 200. Brisbane set a new record of 3/209, only to have Hobart better that with 7/210 in the same match at the ‘Gabba. The Melbourne Renegades equalled this mark, making 3/210 against Brisbane just two days later.

Interestingly, the team batting first won 19 of the 34 games played to date, with 14 won by the team batting second, and the Round 1 washout. This is a complete turnaround from BBL|02, where the team bowling first won 22 of the 35 games played.

But if we’re completely honest, the Big Semi-Finals were a bit rough on the nerves. The undefeated and highly fancied Melbourne Stars couldn’t do it when it mattered the most, against Hobart in Big Semi 1, and then persistent Sydney rain very nearly reduced Craig Simmons’ incredible innings for the Scorchers to nothing, before it finally stopped and allowed the minimum five overs to be bowled.

The finals format, particularly the perceived lack of reward for the teams finishing highest and the topic of reserve days for the finals matches, has become a major talking point in social and online media forums over the past few days.

They’re all discussions worth having, but they’ll have to be put off for another day.

The Big Final is upon us, and the Scorchers and Hurricanes can’t change the way they qualified.

After Simmons’ 112 from 58 balls helped Perth add 126 from their last ten overs to reach 5/193 against the Sydney Sixers, the Scorchers’ held their nerve superbly in defending their Duckworth/Lewis reduced target of 54 from just five overs.

Jason Behrendorff took two wickets in the second over, before the fourth over produced a run out and two Pat Cummins wickets. Needing 17 from the last over, Nic Maddinson smashed two fours off Nathan Coulter-Nile before he was also run out, leaving Brett Lee having to hit a six from the last ball.

Lee missed, and the Scorchers pulled off their second SCG thriller of the summer.

The Hurricanes, similarly, were undaunted by their opponents’ superior record throughout BBL|03, and bowled sensationally well to keep the Melbourne Stars to 8/141 in Big Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday night.

On the back of an Eddie McGuire tirade, Tim Paine showed his quality with the bat to lead the Hurricanes’ pursuit with a classy 65, and Australian T20 Captain George Bailey closed out the chase with kind of clean hitting that we’ve become accustomed to from him this summer.

He’s had a couple of rollicking overs against the England quicks this summer, has Bailey, be it in the Test creams, the One-Day greens, or the T20 blacks. When he came to the wicket to join Paine on Tuesday night, the required run rate was more than 7 rpo, but over the course of the next seven overs, that was reduced to a comfortable 5 rpo.

Even when Paine was run out with the win in sight, three Bailey boundaries from four balls in the 18th over erased what slim hopes the Stars had of winning through to the Big Final.

Bailey will be a crucial wicket for the Scorchers; if they don’t get him early, there’s a real danger he can get away before their very eyes.

Likewise, the battle of two of the best wrist-spinners in the Big Bash, Perth’s old stager Brad Hogg and Hobart’s young gun Cameron Boyce, shapes as an intriguing one.

Both have been vital cogs in their respective teams’ bowling attacks, for their ability to take the pace off the ball while also being able to attack with the ferocity of the spin they impart on the ball.

Hogg’s wrong’un remains a thing of beauty to watch for fans, but of mystery to pick for batsmen, and Boyce’s natural flight and turn is not going unnoticed.

As is the case with James Muirhead, it’s great to see another promising young ‘leggie’ arrive on the scene.

Team-wise, Perth have rather surprisingly named Shaun Marsh in their 13-man squad for the Final, despite him admitting earlier this week he’s a “long shot” of being fit.

Craig Simmons didn’t field in Sydney, but will be right to face the Hobart attack as the Scorchers aim for what they’ve dubbed ‘#ThirdTimeLucky’.

The Hurricanes have had some unexpected change forced upon them, though, with key players Ben Laughlin and Shoaib Malik both ruled out of the Final.

Laughlin suffered a quadriceps strain in the first semi, while Malik has been recalled to Pakistan for their domestic T20 competition.

Both have been key members of the Hobart bowling attack, and will be heavily missed.

The Big Final probably does comprise some unexpected teams, and it’s certainly being played at an unexpected venue, but both Perth and Hobart richly deserve their place in the decider, and with it the chance to be crowned BBL|03 Champions.

Teams
Scorchers: Simon Katich (c), Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, Brad Hogg, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Craig Simmons, Alfonso Thomas, Ashton Turner, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman.

Hurricanes: George Bailey ©, Tim Paine, Travis Birt, Aiden Blizzard, Doug Bollinger, Cameron Boyce, Xavier Doherty, Ben Dunk, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Joe Mennie , Jon Wells.

Finals record
Scorchers: Played 5; won 3, lost 2. Best finish: in their third consecutive BBL Final, though beaten in BBL|01 and BBL|02.

Hurricanes: Played 2; won 1, lost 1. Best finish: this season, as BBL|03 Finalist.

Broadcast: from 4:30pm local time, 7:30pm AEDT on Channel Ten

Online: #BBL03 on Twitter, or follow the great Suneer Chowdhary’s live blog.