Nine beats four, and the Scorchers will feel hard done by

7/182 beats 2/179 every time in the Big Bash. It’s such a pity for Perth fans.

The Melbourne Stars, and young Peter Handscomb in particular, deserve full credit for their performance. With his last ball of the night, Handscomb smashed an AJ Tye knuckle ball deep into the crowd at midwicket to clinch the win and record the second century of BBL 4. 103 not out! It was a stunning solo effort.

The normally miserly bowling and fielding of the Scorchers fell apart in the run to the line and Hanscomb, fatigued, and still recovering from injury, produced the miracle finish the Big Bash specialises in. Earlier Shaun Marsh had treated a huge Melbourne MCG crowd to what can only be described as world class batting!

So the Stars narrowly missed second spot after finishing on 10 points (they had to get 180 in 15.2 overs to take second), equal with the Scorchers, and so the Stars will finish in third. While the Sydney Sixers will finish fourth, whether they win their final game against the Thunder or not.

With both semi-finals this weekend, the Adelaide Strikers will play the Sixers on Saturday at the Adelaide Oval, while the Scorchers and the Stars will have another re-match on Sunday the 25th at the Furnace in Perth, subject to official confirmation.

The two winners meet at Manuka Oval in Canberra next Wednesday the 28th. Games schedules are different from previous years because of the World Cup scheduling. The uncertainty of the availability of the grounds led Cricket Australia to come up with the Manuka Oval as the location for the grand final. That should ensure a run feast which will please ACT fans no end, and the bowlers of the two finalists will be made to make every dot ball count.

Shaun Marsh’s availability for the semi-final with the Stars, after his blistering and quite brilliant 79, remains a question mark, as does that of Nathan Coulter-Nile. The latter has lingering issues with his hamstring and could not take his place this evening.

Missed run out fumbles by Ashton Agar on Handscomb and A.J Tye’s on the same player in the final over let the Stars off the hook. That said, Handscomb and John Hastings, with three sixes in one over from Agar, had gotten all the momentum shifting after Yasar Arafat had rocked the Stars with two wickets in two balls, including a flu-affected Kevin Pietersen.

Handscomb appeared out on his feet several times after he had passed his maiden 50 in the Big Bash. He required constant hydration and was close to collapse at the end of the game.

Michael Klinger’s 71 and two very fine catches brought him into calculations for man of the match after he and Marsh had put together 127 blistering runs for the opening stand. Klinger and Adam Voges might have driven Perth past 200. But clever bowling from Michael Beer, Hastings and Clint McKay and Boland stifled the target to 180, which in the end proved to be the difference.

The Scorchers had been 0/90 in 10 overs and might have done better. The Stars trailed everywhere but the final 2 overs.

Handscomb’s five sixes and three by Hastings left Agar, Tye and even the enigmatic Brad Hogg grimacing as 114 runs came off their 12 overs, most un-Scorchers like.

The semi-finals seem certain to be huge occasions and the character of all four teams will be tested as they battle for a place in the Manuka grand final.

The four finalists are worthy of their place, and the Strikers have looked the dominant team. It’s ironic that the Scorchers should get their best total of BBL 4, yet lose at the MCG despite taking seven wickets. It might be the spur they need to toughen up and go all the way.

But conditions and improvised batting might well be the catalyst for the unfavoured Stars or the Sixers to steal two wins and the title.