Hobart Hurricanes 4 for 210 (Wade 71, McDermott 67*, Richardson 2-40) beat Perth Scorchers 139 (Bresnan 43, S Marsh 30, Christian 4-17) by 71 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Hobart Hurricanes became the first team in BBL history to score more than 200 against Perth Scorchers, and thus the first team into this year's BBL final. They dethroned the defending champions in staggering fashion.
Before today, The Hurricanes had lost their last three matches, lost their leading scorer D'Arcy Short to international duty, dropped their highly touted import Tymal Mills. But they dismantled the Scorchers infront of 52,960 hostile fans at the new Optus Stadium in Perth.
Matthew Wade made a sensational 71 off 45 balls at the top of the order to set up a record score in BBL knockouts, outshining Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine in the process. Ben McDermott and Dan Christian clubbed 87 runs off the last six overs to pound the Scorchers into submission.
Mills' replacement Tom Rogers knocked over the Scorchers' top three with extra pace and bounce. The Scorchers' deep batting line-up folded under the weight of the enormous chase. The Hurricanes now wait to see whether they will travel to Adelaide or Melbourne for Sunday's final.
Agar's absence one too many
The Scorchers have been able to absorb the loss of Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Jhye Richardson and David Willey at different stages throughout the tournament. But Ashton Agar's loss was the straw that broke the camel's back. He has been the Scorchers' most economical bowler this season, conceding just 5.74 per over, but more than that he balances their pace-heavy attack.
The Scorchers opted to use Mitchell Marsh as their fifth bowler and paid a heavy price. Firstly, he took the new ball to try and get through an easy over first up. He was wayward and got hammered for two boundaries by Wade. Secondly, it gave Wade a start before facing Mitchell Johnson and he capitalised. He smashed six more boundaries to all corners in 12 balls, including four off Johnson. While his team-mates struggled to adjust to the pace and bounce of the pitch, Wade batted with incredible fluency. Agar's absence hurt the most in the four overs post the Powerplay. Wade and George Bailey struck a boundary an over and scored at 9.5 for four overs in a period where Agar normally concedes less than a run a ball.
McDermott mauls the Scorchers
Wade's innings set the game up but at one stage he appeared to need to go very deep to ensure a competitive total. At the end of 12 overs he had scored 69 of the Hurricanes' 105 runs. He needed help, and McDermott provided it. McDermott got going with a six over mid-off off his ninth delivery. Wade fell in the 14th over but McDermott upped the ante. He launched Marsh, Johnson and Richardson into the stands five more times. Marsh ended up conceding 53 from his four overs. The power of the striking against such velocity stunned the Scorchers' fans into silence. McDermott made 67 from just 30 balls. Christian continued his outstanding form with another superb cameo to set the Scorchers a mammoth target.
Rogers the replacement
Rogers had only played two T20s prior to this semi-final. He gave up 50 runs in three overs on debut against Sydney Thunder and then took 1 for 29 in four overs against the Scorchers at the WACA. But Mills had bowled himself out of the team on form and Rogers was the first cab off the rank. He bowled the right lengths on a surface where anything slightly astray got punished. He hurried Michael Klinger into pulling to short fine leg after bowling four dots to him. He forced Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh to pull to the long boundary and both men picked out a deliberately placed deep square leg. Rogers had 3 for 17 in three overs in the Powerplay and the Scorchers were 3 for 51.
Bailey and Archer atone
Bailey and Jofra Archer were two of the chief architects of the calamitous loss to Melbourne Stars last Sunday that had nearly cost the Hurricanes a semi-final berth. During the eighth over of the Scorchers' chase, two brilliant pieces of fielding all but sealed the Hurricanes place in a BBL final for the first time. Mitchell Marsh hooked Christian towards fine leg, where Archer charged in from the rope and dived forward at full stretch to take an incredible catch inches above the turf. Two balls later Ashton Turner hit a ball to Bailey at mid-off and took him on. Bailey accepted the challenge and produced a direct hit that ran Turner out by miles. Adam Voges and Hilton Cartwright never got going and both men fell before the end of the 10th over ,leaving the Scorchers at 7 for 68. They would never recover. Christian finished with 4 for 17 to cap another excellent all-round display.
