Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers rise to second on table after chaotic New Year’s Eve victory over Adelaide

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Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers rise to second on table after chaotic New Year’s Eve victory over Adelaide

Perth Scorchers have held their nerve amid fireworks, implosions, a Big Bash League record and a bizarre mankad warning at Adelaide Oval to tick off an early New Year’s resolution with a seven-wicket triumph over the Strikers.

The Scorcher’s first road victory of the campaign looked to be coming at a canter, Perth’s supreme battery of fast bowlers blitzing the home side’s top order to 8-58.

However, a minor implosion and a league-record ninth-wicket partnership between bowlers Brendon Doggett (47 not out) and Cameron Boyce (29 not out) allowed Adelaide to set a tricky chase of 143.

Jhye Richardson, released from the Test squad for the match, sent national selectors a clear statement of intent with Mitchell Starc under growing injury clouds, claiming 3-29, including his 100th Big Bash wicket.

If ticking off road wins and going second on the table wasn’t enough of a resolution, struggling Kiwi import Finn Allen finally found runs.

He blasted 50 off 23 deliveries, all while raging Englishman Jamie Overton wanted to mankad him.

Cooper Connolly also starred in the chase, maintaining his spot atop the run charts with an unbeaten 48 and named player of the match.

On a dour note, Perth will be sweating on the fitness of spinner Ashton Agar, who was forced from the field in the first innings with back spasms.

Camera IconCooper Connolly was player of the match. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“Obviously going for 11 off my first over wasn’t ideal, but I think the good thing about our team is when one person at one end doesn’t quite hit the mark, we know there’s a few other guys who can contribute,” Richardson said post-match.

“We would have liked to keep them to an even lower score, and it was looking like that for a while, but Doggett and Boyce batted really well at the end. Credit to them.

“But, I mean, coming here we know it’s a high-scoring venue and 140-odd we would have taken every day of the week.”

Bowling first, Lance Morris picked up where he left off on Boxing Day, ending Englishman Ollie Pope’s agonising four-ball knock at the top of the order for one caught at deep fine-leg.

The ‘Wild Thing’ hit 147.6km/h in his first over, and while Chris Lynn met Morris’ fire with a charge, it was a Jason Behrendorff slower ball that ended the Adelaide veteran’s night on one.

Jake Weatherald was given a life when Richardson walked in too far from the fine-leg boundary, the ball lobbing over his head for a boundary.

But it didn’t matter as Andrew Tye made up for it with a New Year’s Eve cracker, catching Weatherald one-handed at mid-off, leaving the home side 3-30.

The Strikers’ innings turned disastrous as D’Arcy Short gloved one down leg side off state teammate Tye for 22.

The bloodbath reached new heights as Overton became Richardson’s first wicket, nicking one to gully, and the contest appeared all but over as Liam Scott put the Scorchers star on a hattrick, bowled by a searing yorker first ball.

Henry Thornton saw off the hattrick ball with a straight bat but added just two to the total before nicking off against Morris.

Stand-in skipper Alex Ross became Richardson’s 100th BBL scalp with the second ball of the Power Play, having started with a ramped boundary.

Camera IconAndrew Tye of the Scorchers celebrates the wicket of D’Arcy Short. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Tye undid some of the Scorchers’ good work with a woeful power surge over before his third over went for 17.

Doggett and Boyce combined for the biggest ninth-wicket partnership in league history, remarkably taking the score from 8-58 to 8-142 after 20 overs.

Doggett, who was in the Test squad for the Adelaide day-nighter, then took the new ball and nearly had Matthew Hurst for a duck, but Overton got in Boyce’s way as the ball safely found grass.

Hurst got a second life in the next over, a skied pull shot lobbing just over mid-on, but he spurned the chances, slicing an easy catch to deep point the next ball.

Despite being the BBL’s leading scorer, Connolly moved down the order to allow Aaron Hardie to bat at first drop.

The promotion proved undeserved, the all-rounder skying his fourth ball to be caught on two.

Connolly survived a nick behind when Adelaide chose not to review, while Allen used a calm approach to start his innings.

The calm broke on 11, but the Kiwi was handed a freebie, dropped as Ross sprinted back from mid-off.

Camera IconFinn Allen of the Scorchers hits six. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images

The half chances came back with bite as Connolly and Allen found the boundaries with regularity, the big New Zealander only needing one hand for his first maximum.

Allen’s second six coincided with fireworks exploding over Adelaide Oval.

A fired-up Overton backed up mid-pitch banter with a Mankad warning against Allen.

However, the Kiwi let his bat do the talking, slicing the hulking English bowler over backward point for six.

It was Doggett with the goods again, getting Allen to chop on just after his half century.

Turner’s arrival at the crease sated chaos; he and Connolly showing fleet heels as they finished the chase with professional ease.

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