The Scorchers celebrate after winning the BBL for the second consecutive year
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
The Perth Scorchers retained their Big Bash League (BBL) title in nail-biting fashion as they sneaked past the Sydney Sixers off the very last ball in Canberra.
Opening batsman Shaun Marsh starred with the bat for the Scorchers as he smashed a vital 73.
However, Sixers skipper Moises Henriques deserves a lot of credit for his valiant knock of 77.
Henriques would have regretting his decision to bat first after his side were reduced to 49/4 in the 10th over.
Henriques and Ryan Carters steered the Sixers’ innings back in the right direction with a 98-run partnership, during which Henriques brought up his half-century, before he was run out by Ashton Turner off the last ball of the innings.
Henriques’ brilliant knock of 77 came off 57 balls and included five boundaries and two sixes.
Henriques made a gutsy 77
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Carters ended up making 35 off 25 deliveries, which included four boundaries, as the Sixers finished on 147/5 off their 20 overs.
Brad Hogg, Yasir Arafat, Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile picked up one wicket apiece.
Chasing 148 to win, the Scorchers got off to an excellent start as Marsh and Michael Klinger amassed a 70-run partnership before Klinger was caught by Sean Abbott at deep midwicket off the bowling of Brett Lee for 33.
Scorchers skipper Adam Voges made 20 runs before he was caught behind off the bowling of Doug Bollinger.
Marsh ended up making 73 off 59 balls, which included three boundaries and three sixes, before he was caught by Abbott at deep midwicket off the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
Marsh hammered three boundaries and three sixes during his innings of 73
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Lyon struck again just two balls later when Turner was also caught by Abbott at deep midwicket for a golden duck.
Heading into the final over, the Scorchers needed eight runs to retain their title.
Michael Carberry managed to score seven runs off the first three balls before Lee, who was bowling his last over in professional cricket, hit back with two wickets in two balls.
Needing one run off the last ball to win, the Sixers had a chance to send the game into a Super Over, but Henriques fumbled the ball when trying to run out Arafat. As a result of this, Henriques and the Sixers could only look on in utter despair as the Scorchers celebrated winning the BBL for the second year in a row.
Lee was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Lyon snapped up two and Bollinger claimed one.
Marsh was named Man of the Match for his spectacular knock of 73.