Big Bash League: Ashton Agar, Ashton Turner lead Perth Scorchers past Hobart Hurricanes
THE Perth Scorchers’ trademark in the past has been their ability to defend a score of any size. This season they are backing themselves to overhaul any sort of total and it’s working a treat.
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ASHTON Agar again starred with the ball before Ashton Turner led the Perth Scorchers to yet another successful run chase at the WACA Ground.
And with Shaun Marsh set to return ahead of the Big Bash League semi finals, life out west is pretty rosy.
In previous BBL campaigns where the Scorchers have won the title in 2014, 2015 and 2017, it has been their ability to defend a score of any size that was their trademark.
However, this season they have taken the opposite approach of backing themselves to overhaul any sort of total and it’s working a treat.
They again chased down 168 to win on Saturday night to beat the Hobart Hurricanes with four balls to spare and five wickets in hand. The win is a sixth straight at home for the Scorchers to improve them to a 7-2 record and all but lock in a home semi-final.
They have one game to play at the WACA against the Adelaide Strikers on Thursday with the only way of missing a home semi-final being if they lose that and the Melbourne Renegades win their remaining three matches.
That home semi-final will be played at the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium.
While Cameron Bancroft (54 from 36) was impressive, it was the Ashton show with Ashton Turner continuing his great form hitting the winning runs to finish on 50 from 27 balls.
And Ashton Agar was there with him at the end making 13 (11), but it was with the ball he earned man of the match honours claiming 2-14 with 16 dot balls. He enjoyed being out there with bat and ball while already being pumped to play at the new stadium.
“It was nice to try and put the brakes on them after they made a pretty quick start. Getting through that first over was crucial for me and then I tried to hold my nerve and find the right lengths,” Agar said.
“It’s so exciting to think about and we are itching to get over there. We love the WACA and we are pumped to play the last game here, but the new stadium is pretty impressive and we’ll have a great time there.”
While the Scorchers brace themselves to potentially lose Agar and Turner for Australia’s Twenty20 team for the BBL finals, they will regain Shaun Marsh. He expects to be ready to return Thursday having overcome a sore thigh following his starring role in Australia’s Ashes triumph.
“I’m hoping to be ready on Thursday,” Marsh said.
“I was hoping to be right for this game but it wasn’t fully right. Hopefully over the next couple of days I can get all the ticks from the physio to be right to go on Thursday.”
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes must beat the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Saturday night to book their semi-final position.