The Perth Scorchers are undoubtedly the most consistently successful team in the BBL’s short history.
They have never finished worse than third in the end of season standings and only failed to make the final twice. They have also taken home the trophy after finishing first (16-17), second (14-15) and third (13-14). It just doesn’t matter to them. Generally, this has been the case because of their formidable bowling attack.
Three times from the first seven incarnations of BBL they have had four bowlers in the top 15 wicket takers for that season.
Remarkably, these three years, were achieved with ten different bowlers forming a legacy of short form bowling in WA.
Leaving out drastically rain affected matches, the Scorchers have managed to take their wickets averaging a notch above 22 runs and completely bowl out teams in one of every six matches.
They have already rolled the Adelaide Strikers for 88 early in this season.
With an attack this effective, batting hasn’t needed to be as dominant. The Scorchers have defended or only needed to chase very small totals over the years to claim a win: 92, 103, 114, 114, 114, 117, 117, 118.
Even this season when they haven’t had a lot to smile about, Perth’s bowlers are doing what they do. Taking an average of six wickets per game and keeping teams under 165.
This bowling prowess doesn’t mean there have not been standout batsmen over in Perth as well. The Marsh brothers when not performing well at the Test level have frustratingly come home to don the Orange and then perform extremely well.
Most seasons, there has always been a batsmen or two that they can rely on to belt 300+ runs: M. Marsh, Gibbs, S. Marsh, Katich and Klinger (twice).
For the Scorchers, one or two strong performers with the bat have generally been all that’s required. Unfortunately this no longer cuts the mustard. Players scoring big has become more common in the previous two seasons.
Mitch Marsh of the Scorchers (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)
In the first five seasons of BBL, between one and four batsmen would emerge scoring 300+ season-end run tallies. Two years ago that number jumped to six and last year it jumped again to eight.
Only one of those fourteen players was from the Scorchers: Klinger — two years ago. When the Australian team can barely justify keeping one or both the Marsh brothers, the Scorchers desperately need them back!
Currently, Ash Turner is the only Scorchers player in the top 15 run scorers, thanks to his 60* in a narrow losing effort against the Sydney Thunder.
Hilton Cartwright has also chipped in with a fifty in a chase that couldn’t make the distance. Even when they are batting well, these isolated performances haven’t been match winners.
Turner and Cartwright, who have compiled the most runs for the Scorchers this season and in the last, need to start batting up the order. They are simply running out of time batting in the middle/lower order if they are going to have a chance to make gigantic scores.
In the age of D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey and this season’s standout — Jos Buttler, most teams have a player capable of new heights of destruction. The Perth Scorchers are in desperate need of someone to do the job that the Marsh brothers, Katich and a younger Klinger have done in the past.
The longer season may be forgiving enough to claw their way back from an uncharacteristic place in the bottom two on the ladder. One can only see this happening if they find a bit of firepower or give time to the players actually making runs.
Andrew Mellor
Roar Rookie
It's true. The Scorchers have relied on some pretty handy top order batsmen (Gibbs, SMarsh, North, Katich, Klinger). No problem with Klinger playing the anchor role. Great to see Bancroft make some runs. The batsmen and the order isn't shabby. Turner struggled early in the season, and Cartwright recently (is that two golden ducks in a row??). Bosisto, not quite there. In the early editions of the BBL the Scorchers would normally have an import batsman (Gibbs, Collingwood, Carberry). It must be on the cards with Usman Qadir barely getting a game and the batting not up to scratch. But if this lineup can find form...... 1 - Klinger (S. Marsh) 2 - Bancroft (WK) (Whiteman and/or Inglis) 3 - Cartwright 4 - Turner (Bosisto) 5 - Agar 6 - Willey (M. Marsh) 7 - Coulter-Nile 8 - Richardson 9 - Tye 10 - Behrendorff (Paris) 11 - Qadir
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
With 5 home games left, I'm tipping finals again. Watch for Cameron Green. Outstanding bowler and an equally good batsman. Hit a sizzling century batting at #3 in grade cricket on the weekend. Now is the time to move him to the middle order. We have Agar, NCN and Jhye Richardson who all score at a great rate but have to sit back and watch Max and Willey waste opportunities.
farking elle
Guest
Good points made, a massive shake up is needed. Klinger looks awful to watch, he should have been given his marching orders at the end of last year. No idea about Willey either as an all rounder. It also doesn't help with Vogues inexperience as a 1st year coach. I'm assuming Geoff Marsh is mentoring him. Wooden spooners here we come for 2019!
Rissole
Roar Rookie
Watching Klinger bunt full tosses for singles in the powerplay was painful to watch. Willey may have made a few scores in the England T20 comp but he has no business playing as a batsman here. I would love it if we could somehow get Short & Stoinis to come and play for the Scorchers. With those power hitters and our bowling line up, we'd be unstoppable.
Ryan Ranger
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately the Scorchers have not got the team balance right for this season. In fact, despite their strong run up until the semi final, I felt the same way last season as well. If anything, the Scorchers have too many “good” fast bowlers. Coulter-Nile, Behrendorff, Tye and Richardson have all played for Australia in recent seasons, so selectors are uncomfortable to leave any of them out. (With Mitchell Johnson and Matt Kelly doing a decent job last season, what would the selectors have done if Behrendorff and NCN weren’t injured?!). They continue to persist with 4 quicks and only one spin bowler in Agar, while other BBL teams this season are showing that you need 2 spinners to win games and that a third spin option is handy. There are a lot of question marks over most of the squad. Starting with their overseas imports, Usman Qadir provided nothing with the ball and looked sluggish (read, unfit) in the field in the first game against the Renegades, was subsequently dropped and has not had a look in since. They were hoping he’d have an impact that other leg-spinners such as Adil Rashid and Rashid Khan have had in the BBL. In David Willey they have an England all-rounder who hardly gets a bowl and after 3 years, still don’t know where he is best-suited as a batsman. I’m struggling to think of another BBL team this season that has dropped an import from their 13-man match-day squad or that under-utilises an overseas player like the Scorchers have/do. Do tournament conditions / salary cap allow teams to cut an import and bring in a new one, similar to the NBL? Michael Klinger was kept on for his experience (with Voges and Johnson retiring and the Marshes largely unavailable), has been disappointing this year it must be said. Age, combined with an absence of regular cricket appear to be factors in his current form. Going down to the middle order, you have a player once picked as a Test all-rounder in Hilton Cartwright who doesn’t bowl and yet doesn’t seem suited to batting in the latter part of an innings either, and then there’s another T20 International in Ashton Turner who is a captain that comes in around 6 who used to provide a second or third spin option but due to an injury 2-3 years ago apparently can no longer bowl. The wicketkeeping situation has been messy as well, partly due to the Bancroft suspension and then Whiteman and Inglis both getting injured. Funnily enough, Josh Philippe has been doing a decent job with bat and gloves for the Sydney Sixers. I expect there will be quite a shake-up to the Scorchers line-up for next season.
Kieran Kirk
Roar Rookie
Yes I fear that Klinger may be past it. A friend also pointed out that their order is constantly changing which must be hard.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
The batsmen are there...they are just waiting while Klinger burns up balls or a tailender like Willey plays and misses. Then they have to go too hard and fast to make up the deficit. Agar up the order (he'll never be caught by Watson like that again), Whiteman in. Scorchers have only played one home game. Drop Willey, leave out Klinger and it's all good.
anon
Roar Pro
I thought it was 'Bugs' for those new chompers he got
kk
Roar Pro
G'day Kieran, One of Mitchell Johnson's nicknames is 'Jesus' The Scorchers could do with a return of either.