The BBL 12 Decider has arrived, with the Perth Scorchers set to host the Brisbane Heat in front of their home fans at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
It will be the third time these sides have met this season with the Scorchers running out comfortable winners by seven and eight wickets, respectively.
While the market suggests the Scorchers should easily register their fifth title at $1.40, we look at how both sides could leave the ground as this year’s champions.
Perth Scorchers vs. Brisbane Heat
Saturday 4 February
Previous BBL 12 meetings:
- Game 33: The Scorchers defeated the Heat by 7 wickets (21 balls left).
- Game 37: The Scorchers defeated the Heat by 8 wickets (22 balls left).
The Scorchers would have watched The Challenger with great interest after winning through to The Decider with a seven-wicket victory over the Sixers in their qualifying final.
There might have even been a wry smile on the faces of their players after the result of The Challenger came in, having dominated the Heat on both occasions this season.
The Scorchers were sensational in their last outing against the Sixers, with Ashton Turner belting 84* (47) alongside Cameron Bancroft’s 53 (45) and guiding the Scorchers to a comfortable finals win.
The Scorchers’ batsmen have dominated the headlines in BBL 12 as their top five take turns ripping through bowling attacks. Bancroft (average of 57), Aaron Hardie (44.3), Ashton Turner (41), Josh Inglis (36.8), and Stephen Eskinazi (27.57) have dominated from the outset and helped the Scorchers to eight scores of 154 or above.
Unfortunately for opposition teams, Perth’s bowlers have been just as effective. Andrew Tye is ranked second in the league for wickets at 25, while Jason Behrendorff is close behind with 19. Jhye Richardson has been ruled out of the final through injury, but they’ll enter with David Payne and Lance Morris, both of whom have taken nine wickets from five games.
As for the Brisbane Heat, they’ll enter The Decider with incredible confidence after defeating the Sydney Sixers by four wickets on Thursday night.
After a slow start with the ball, the Heat bowlers struck via Spencer Johnson (3/28) and Matthew Kuhnemann (3/18), keeping the Sixers to 9/116 from their 20. The run chase was a rollercoaster of its own before Michael Neser stepped up in the clutches and smacked 48* (32) in a match-winning display.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Heat were sitting on the bottom of the ladder. Their reversal of form has been nothing short of spectacular, having won seven of their past eight games.
With Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw travelling to India earlier in the week, it will take another incredible performance from Neser to give the Heat a chance in this one.
Suggested Bet: The Scorchers to win at $1.39
