The Perth Scorchers confirmed their status as the Big Bash League’s dominant force on Sunday night, beating arch-rivals Sydney Sixers in a largely one-sided and occasionally fractious final at a febrile Optus Stadium.
In front of 55,018 fans, a record crowd for a cricket match in Perth, the Scorchers restricted the Sixers to 132 in seam-friendly conditions before chasing the target down in the 18th over to claim a record-extending sixth BBL crown and a fourth final victory over their old rivals.
The platform was laid by Perth’s fast bowlers, with David Payne, Jhye Richardson and Mahli Beardman combining for eight wickets as the Sixers posted the lowest first-innings total in a 20-over BBL final. Steven Smith briefly threatened to spoil the party with a brisk 24 from 13 balls, but once he was removed the innings never fully recovered.
There had been low totals defended at Optus Stadium earlier in the season, yet any tension was quickly drained by a blistering opening stand of 80 between Finn Allen and Mitchell Marsh. The partnership ensured celebrations began early in the stands and never truly subsided.
After a brief drizzle delay, the atmosphere was hostile from the outset as the Sixers were sent in. Smith was jeered during introductions and again when he took guard, while Daniel Hughes struggled to settle before holing out to Richardson. Beardman was thrown straight into the contest against Smith, renewing a rivalry from the Qualifier, and the contest crackled as Smith responded to sharp movement with a flurry of forceful strokes.
Smith’s resistance ended when Aaron Hardie struck him on the pad, the on-field decision overturned on review to trigger one of the loudest roars heard at the venue since it opened in 2018. Smith departed in disbelief, waved off mockingly by an orange-clad crowd.
Payne then took centre stage. While Perth’s attack boasts genuine pace, it was the left-armer’s lack of it that undid the Sixers, his slower balls proving decisive. Josh Philippe fell deceived by a 109kph delivery, and Payne returned during the power surge to remove Lachlan Shaw and captain Moises Henriques. A controversial non-catch denied him a fourth wicket, but the damage was already done as the Sixers limped to a modest total.
Mitchell Starc, playing his final BBL match after retiring from T20 internationals, summoned speeds of 147kph but again found Allen an immovable obstacle. Despite a brief rain interruption, the Scorchers’ momentum never wavered, even after Allen was eventually dismissed following a spectacular one-handed catch by Jack Edwards.
The chase was completed in emphatic style. Marsh set the tone with a first-ball six off Sean Abbott, while Allen continued his resurgence with 36 from 22 balls to finish the tournament as leading run-scorer with 466 runs at a strike rate of 184. Late wickets caused only a brief pause before Josh Inglis sealed the win with a six over long-off, unleashing the loudest roar of a night that underlined Perth’s enduring grip on the BBL.
