It's Perth Scorchers against Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash Qualifier on Tuesday, when Richard Mann is backing a familiar face to do some more damage.
Cricket tips: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers
1pt Steve Smith to make a fifty at 2/1 (General)
A place in next Sunday’s final awaits the winner of the Big Bash Qualifier, which takes place between old rivals Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers on Tuesday morning.
The Scorchers – who were tipped at 5/1 in the pre-tournament preview on these pages – topped the league table in the regular reason, while the Sixers bagged a crucial top-two finish via the back door, Hobart Hurricanes surrendering a position of strength before the Sixers beat Brisbane Heat on Sunday.
Perhaps it’s fitting these two sides go head-to-head once, given they have been the dominant forces in Big Bash cricket for so long. There are eight titles between the two clubs, five won by the Scorchers.
Bookmakers have the Scorchers as marginal favourites to win the match and go on to win the tournament for a sixth time (11/8 in the outright market), with the Sixers marginally bigger outright at 13/8, home advantage for the Qualifier probably the deciding factor here.
Home comforts key for Scorchers
And I’d say that’s about right, at Perth more than anywhere else where the pace and bounce is so much more extreme than other pitches in Australia, bar perhaps the Gabba. It will certainly be a gear change from the Sydney Cricket Ground where the Sixers play their home games.
To that end, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the Scorchers won the league fixture between these two sides in the very first match of the current season, and also the Qualifier on this ground in 2023. I’m not reading too much into last season’s last-ball win for the Sixers here, on account of just how bad the Scorchers were last term.
That’s not to say I think all is rosy in the Scorchers bed right now. In fact, I wouldn’t be sure it is.
With Ashton Agar having joined Lance Morris on the injury list, the bowling has on occasions looked vulnerable, namely when failing to defend 257 against the Heat and for a long time appearing in big trouble when defending 232 against Adelaide Strikers.
Pace spearhead Jhye Richardson is clearly still working his way back to full tilt, while wrist spinner Luke Holt doesn’t look anywhere near ready for this. Thankfully, Mahli Beardman has been outstanding, ably supported by the experienced and canny David Payne.
The obvious strength of the home outfit is their batting. Finn Allen is hot from scores of 101 and 69, and is striking at 189.55 this season, while his opening partner Mitch Marsh is batting well and made a hundred of his own in Hobart. There is also Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis and Ashton Turner for the Sixers to worry about.
If this match is played on a good pitch and is high-scoring, I fancy this Scorchers batting line-up might collectively have too much muscle and power for the Sixers, but the surface has been a mixed bag here this term.
With the ball, the Sixers are stronger, aided by the return of Mitchell Starc who leads an attack also featuring Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Jack Edwards.
Smith stands out for Sixers
Also back in the away ranks is STEVE SMITH, and he has once again looked a class above in this competition.
Smith has got quickly back into the groove with scores of 19 not out, 100 and 54. Perhaps a surprise to some, Smith has actually added some much-needed aggression to the Sixers batting group with an impressive strike-rate of 176.53 so far.
I say that because Pakistan overseas international Babar Azam has been crawling along at an SR of just 104.12, while skipper Moises Henriques only been marginally quicker at 114.75. That just doesn’t cut it nowadays.
With home advantage, I’m more than hopeful the Scorchers can march into the final, but Smith clearly stands as the key man.
In fact, it’s hard not to see him playing a leading role again, and backing SMITH TO MAKE A FIFTY at 2/1 looks a solid play.
Posted at 17:05 GMT on 18/01/26
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