Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers: Who won today's BBL match?
The Perth Scorchers continue to climb the BBL points table as they registered their third win on the bounce after defeating the Sydney Sixers by 86 runs. The Perth side had put up a score of 183-4 in their 20 overs, and the Sixers were thoroughly outplayed as they were bowled out for 97.
Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye were the stars with the ball for the Scorchers, but it was the crucial innings of 57* from Mitchell Marsh which allowed them to post a challenging total of 183 runs in today's BBL clash.
Brief BBL score: Perth Scorchers 183-4 (Marsh 57*, Pope 2-13). Sydney Sixers 97 all out in 16.4 overs. (Edwards 44, Tye 4-20). Scorchers won by 86 runs.
BBL table-toppers bowled out for 96
Chasing a challenging score of 184 runs for the win, the Sydney Sixers lost the in-form Josh Philippe in the second over. The batsman tried to play across the line but only got a thick outside edge, which was caught by Mitchell Marsh at first slip.
Jhye Richardson then took the outside edge of James Vince as the Englishman departed for a duck. After two early setbacks, captain Daniel Hughes and Jack Edwards took the score to 39-2 in six overs.
Andrew Tye soon broke that partnership as Hughes was dismissed for 14. After that, the Sixers woefully capitulated as they lost Jordan Silk, Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite in quick succession. At the ten-over mark, the defending champions were reeling at 58-6.
Jack Edwards provided some resistance, but it wasn't going to be enough as the Sixers suffered their third BBL loss of the season.
Mitchell Marsh's late flourish helps the Scorchers post 183-4
Earlier, the Sixers won the toss and invited the Perth Scorchers to bat first. Liam Livingstone was dismissed early as he skied a shot while going after spinner Steve O'Keefe as the Scorchers managed 34-1 in the first five overs.
Jason Roy was struggling to get going, but Colin Munro kept the scoreboard ticking. The two took the Scorchers to 71-1 in 10 overs, and the pair put together a decent platform to kick-on in the last ten overs.
The Sixers used their BBL X-factor swap and brought in leg-spinner Lloyd Pope in the place of Ben Dwarshuis. The spinner provided an immediate impact as he picked up the crucial wicket of Munro for 50.
Jason Roy's sluggish innings also came to an end as he top-edged a slog sweep off Pope's bowling. The England international managed 27 off 31 balls. Pope was only used for his two overs, but he made his mark by entering the game at the midway point. With 2 set batsmen out, it seemed like the momentum would slip away from the Scorchers.
However, Mitchell Marsh showed his class and smashed 57* off 27 balls with the last five overs yielding 76 runs. The two overs of BBL Power Surge once again was the key in shifting the momentum as the Scorchers scored 30 runs off it after taking it in the 15th over.
Marsh was supported well by Josh Inglis at the other end as the wicketkeeper scored 20 runs off 12 balls. The late flourish allowed the Scorchers to post a competitive total of 183-4.
As it turned out, the Sixers fell short by 86 runs and the Perth-based outfit got the better of the BBL table toppers.