But with a chance to set the tone, Richardson came out firing and picked up the key wicket of Sam Harper in the second over before performing well later in the innings, including dismissing Glenn Maxwell in the power surge.
Richardson bowled with sharp pace in the early 140kph region and also conjured movement much to the delight of a rowdy near 50,000-crowd at Optus Stadium. Having struggled to hit top gear so far this season, including his long-awaited Test comeback in the Boxing Day Ashes Test, Richardson produced a vintage performance – his best following a successful recovery from shoulder surgery to fix long-standing issues.
“It’s been a process that’s probably taken slightly longer than what I would have liked,” Richardson told reporters. “The nature of shoulder surgery is that nothing’s ever guaranteed.
“If we said 12 months ago that I was in the position that I am now, we probably would have taken it, albeit I’m not in the high 140s like I have been previously.
“To see the ball actually swinging again tonight was a real relief for me. I think I can be very grateful and very proud of myself, I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get back here.”
With Scorchers guaranteed to host two finals, Richardson is ramping up his speed in an ominous sign for opposition batters although it still might take time to hit his previous heights.
“I think so,” Richardson said when asked if he can again reach the high 140kph mark. “There’s still a process to go through with the shoulder. I think early on, there was such an emphasis on making sure that it was stable and making sure that the strength was good.
“But there’s also another element of it that involves trying to create power quickly and trying to train my shoulder to be able to create that power.”
With the comforts of a double chance, Scorchers are favoured to claim a record-extending sixth title. Their crushing victory over Stars proved that they are just as comfortable bowling first. Unlike some other teams – like Stars who are winless from four games batting first – winning the bat flip might actually be irrelevant for them.
“For us to lose eight [bat flips] in a row and still have the results that we’ve had, I think is real credit to the team,” Richardson said. “We know that teams want to bowl first, but I think what comes with that is the power that we have in our batting line-up.
“To bowl first tonight, to get an understanding of what the wicket is going to do and how we want to go about our batting innings, I think it was really advantageous for us.”
A buoyed Scorchers will watch the final regular season match on Sunday with interest when Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat meet at the Gabba with much at stake. A Sixers victory will lift them to second on the ladder and a clash with old foes Scorchers in a blockbuster Qualifier final on Tuesday at Optus Stadium.
“We know he comes hard, we know how good he is,” Richardson said of Smith. “But I was just talking to the guys before – they’re going to have to fly from Brissy, which is a tough flight, coming into 40-degree heat [in Perth on Tuesday].
“So for us to be here and not having to get on a plane, I think is another advantage for us. To lock in that home final, everyone’s feeling really confident.”
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
