Talking Points: This One's For You, Orange Army

Below are several talking points from the Scorchers’ clinical six-wicket win over their longstanding rivals, secured in front of an unprecedented home crowd.

Scorchers greats become greater
The Big Bash legacies of numerous Perth Scorchers legends were further enhanced last night. Adam Voges has now been central to all six of the Scorchers’ titles, winning three as a player and two as captain before becoming the first Head Coach to celebrate three championships. Ashton Turner is now the only man to skipper his team to a trio of titles, likewise the only player to win five. Jhye Richardson, Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis have now been part of three championships each. Meantime, Laurie Evans and David Payne became the second and third BBL internationals to lift multiple trophies, both with the Scorchers, joining former Sixers batter James Vince on the exclusive list. The Club itself, meanwhile, is in its own League with twice as many KFC BBL titles as the nearest rival (the Sixers, three championships). They might’ve changed their game style, but the Scorchers’ longstanding cultural blueprint continues to yield dividends.  

This one’s for you, Members and fans
The Orange Army took their extraordinary support to new heights, recording the largest crowd that has ever attended a cricket match in Western Australia excluding cumulative Test crowds. No fewer than 55,018 fans packed into every inch of Optus Stadium, eclipsing the previous attendance benchmark for cricket in WA of 53,886 set in the BBL|12 decider. The signs were there early – initially when tickets were snapped up in a heartbeat, then on game day as a sea of Orange washed through the Burswood precinct hours before the start of play. It took the Scorchers’ overall home game season attendance to 272,626 (38,946 per game), and their historic attendance at Optus Stadium past 1.5 million to 1,520,830. There is no denying Perth Scorchers have the best Members and fans in the country.

All aboard the Payne Train
In a dozen games across two seasons divided by a two-year hiatus, David Payne has established himself as a Scorchers hero. The unassuming left-armer’s career-best Big Bash spell of 3-18 against the Sixers was utterly flawless, making him the obvious choice for Player of the Final honours. Leaning on 233 games of T20 experience, Payne was the fastest to acclimatise to a pitch that hadn’t been used since the NRMA Ashes West Test in November. His cutters grabbed the surface – to an extent the Scorchers’ squad jokingly suggested he trim an already short run-up; his shorter deliveries were unerringly accurate, and his on-pace deliveries were used as variations instead of stock balls. Payne’s over-by-over summary read: 0-2, 1-5, 2-3 (Power Surge) and 0-8, with 10 dots. Among his victims were match-winners Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques and promising right-hander Lachlan Shaw, all undone by off-cutters, while Payne also came mightily close to dismissing Joel Davies in his final over before Cooper Connolly’s diving effort was deemed incomplete. Payne wrapped up his second stint in orange with 11 wickets at 13.54, taking his Scorchers tally to 21 scalps at 15.24 and two championships in 12 games.

Allen completes redemption arc
It has been apparent for some time now that Finn Allen was worth the wait. Pre-tournament, the Kiwi powerhouse spoke at length about how the learnings from a tough debut Big Bash campaign last season had made him a better cricketer. That statement was validated ad nauseum throughout BBL|15 and underlined again last night as Allen’s 22-ball 36 took him past multiple landmarks. Not only was his tally of 466 runs at 42.36 the most of any batter this season, it’s also the most a Scorcher has ever scored in a single campaign, overtaking Aaron Hardie’s effort in BBL|12 (460 at 41.81). Allen struck his 38^th six for the season, adding to what was already a record-breaking total, and scored at a better pace (strike rate 184.18) than all bar Hobart’s Mitch Owen (195.29) and Melbourne Stars’ Tom Curran (187.5) – with a significantly better average than that pair.

Setting the tone with stability up top
The powerhouse opening partnership of Mitch Marsh and Allen had an enormous say in proceedings at the exact moment their best was required. Franchise cricket’s equivalent to a Glastonbury headline act, the pair cracked open last night’s chase by belting 80 runs in 50 deliveries before Allen’s contribution ended with a ridiculous catch at cover by Jack Edwards. All told, their contribution together – 343 runs at 31.18 – was relatively modest by virtue of a slow start to the tournament, but Marsh and Allen put on 64 or more in three of the Scorchers’ last five games. There was also the pattern of one player firing when the other didn’t, allowing the rest of the batting order to go about their work with calculated freedom. On top of Allen’s immense contribution, Marsh scored 360 runs at 30 himself (fourth in competition) as part of the most explosive batting line-up the Club has ever assembled.

Surgical precision
Perth Scorchers’ Power Surge dominance has again been enormous to their success in BBL|15, just as it was in championship seasons of BBL|11 – when the rule was introduced – and BBL|12.  Continuing a season-long trend, the Scorchers were all over their opponents the moment fielders were called in for the 16^th over, taking 3-10 in a match-breaking passage of play led by Payne and Richardson. It was this passage that restricted the Sixers’ scoring ceiling and ultimately paved the way for a 17.3 over pursuit of 133 in which the Surge wasn’t used.

Inch-perfect review sends Smith on his way
Hardie has been at the centre of many a match-defining moment this season, but his pitch to review an LBW call against Steve Smith stands tall above the rest. Initially adjudged not-out following a passionate plea from several Scorchers players,
Hardie and captain Ashton Turner were quick to challenge the decision. Replays confirmed Hardie’s off-cutter would have clattered into Smith’s leg stump, leaving the oft-unstoppable Sixers superstar trudging off for 24 from 13. Hardie finished with 1-16 from three overs and a second Scorchers title, capping off what may well have been his most complete season in orange.

Perth Scorchers’ squad for KFC BBL|15: Ashton Turner (C), Ashton Agar, Finn Allen (New Zealand), Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Joel Curtis (Local Replacement Player), Laurie Evans (England), Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Luke Holt (Local Replacement Player), Josh Inglis, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, David Payne (England), Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli (Local Replacement Player).