Perth Scorchers 232 for 4 (Marsh 88, Inglis 42) beat Adelaide Strikers 200 for 8 (Carey 71, Short 52, Payne 3-35) by 32 runs
Scorchers have especially enjoyed batting away from what has been a rather sluggish Optus Stadium surface. They became the first ever team to reach 200 in four games – all made away from Perth – in a BBL season after whacking 16 sixes, including seven from Marsh.
Left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was a surprise omission from Strikers’ XI having taken 3 for 30 against Scorchers last week in Perth.
Despite finishing with the equal second highest ever BBL total at Adelaide Oval, Scorchers remained wary after being unable to defend 257 for 6 against Heat at the Gabba in a surreal match last month.
Carey’s best shot was a superb stroke down the ground off Aaron Hardie that sailed into the crowd. He was matched by Short, who immediately put debutant legspinner Luke Holt under severe pressure to reach a 29-ball half-century.
Short in the next over holed out to a Hardie slower ball, but Carey continued to make a statement to the national selectors after missing the cut for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.
After Chris Lynn fell for 18 in an overturned caught behind decision, Carey sped to his half-century off just 23 balls before on 56 being dropped by a diving Cooper Connolly at deep midwicket
Connolly regrouped to bowl Liam Scott for 12 as the pressure grew on Carey, with Strikers needing 77 off the last five overs. Carey’s brilliant 71 off 39 balls ended when he was well caught by skipper Ashton Turner, who dived forward and held on close to the ground at cover.
Scorchers (5-3) moved to second on the ladder, while Strikers’ (3-5) finals hopes are slipping away.
Scorchers once again batted first after losing the bat flip for the seventh straight match. As New Zealand started their white-ball tour of India with an ODI in Vadodara, Allen ignited Scorchers with an early assault on a wayward Luke Wood.
Allen and Marsh launched four sixes in the first 15 legal deliveries, with Wood and Jamie Overton made to pay for not hitting their lengths. Seamer Hasan Ali did not fare any better and was smashed by Allen over deep backward square to bring up Scorchers’ 50 in the fourth over.
Short quickly resorted to Pope, a thorn for Scorchers over the years and he recently starred with 4 for 23 at Optus Stadium.
After his second ball was bludgeoned by Marsh into the terraces, Pope had Allen driving to point where Short took a superb forward diving catch close to the ground. Pope then knocked over Connolly, who was completely bamboozled to fall for a golden duck.
Pope was unable to claim his hat-trick but did manage to somewhat slow the run rate alongside Boyce, who mustered his wealth of experience to finish with 1 for 31 from four overs in his season debut.
Marsh started to tire towards the backend and there was a momentary scare when he appeared to pull up gingerly after scampering hard between the wickets.
But he looked untroubled while peppering the boundaries until holing out in the 17th over before Hardie and Turner lifted Scorchers to a huge total that ultimately proved more than enough.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth