Richard Mann delivers his verdict on Sunday's Big Bash final, where he has 5/1 pre-tournament selections Perth Scorchers running against old rivals Sydney Sixers.
Cricket tips: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers
2pts No fifty in the match at 6/1 (BoyleSports)
2pt Mahli Beardman top Perth Scorchers bowler at 5/1 (bet365, BoyleSports)
For the sixth time in the history of the Big Bash, Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers will do battle in Sunday’s final, the former chasing a sixth tournament success, the Sixers a fourth.
It’s fitting these two clubs will contest the final once again, two giants of the competition and the best two teams this season, the Scorchers having topped the league table in the regular season, with the Sixers behind them in second.
The Scorchers have home advantage on their side, as they did in the Qualifier last week when defending 147 comfortably, as the Sixers only mustered 99 in reply.
That has been the way all season in Perth, with conditions unusually tough for batting and 150 often proving a very competitive total. For further context, Sunday’s pitch will be the same one used for the two-day Ashes Test earlier in the summer, one which Australia batsman Usman Khawaja labelled a ‘piece of s***’.
In six Big Bash matches played in Perth this term, NO FIFTY IN THE MATCH was a winning bet on four occasions, so the 6/1 with BoyleSports for another blank looks worth a bet on price grounds alone.
Low home scores is something of a surprise, given the amount of batting talent in the home ranks. Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis and Ashton Turner are the big names, but the star of the show this time has been Finn Allen, the Kiwi whose 430 runs have come at an average of 43.00, with a whopping strike-rate 186.14.
Allen made a rapid 49 in last week’s Qualifier, though the Sixers attack is very good and did a fine job of repairing the damage caused by his bat, the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbot and Ben Dwarshuis always so reliable.
It’s here where I feared the Sixers might hold the edge, but Cooper Connolly has got better and better, growing into the role of frontline spinner in the absence of Ashton Agar. He’ll bowl the first over on Sunday.
Jhye Richardson is finally getting close to full tilt again following a horror run with injuries, but the key man is now Mahli Beardman, outstanding all season and the match winner in the Qualifier when taking 3-20, including the prized scalp of Steve Smith.
Were it not for Smith’s return from international duty, I’m not sure the Sixers would have even qualified for the playoffs, never mind the final. Babar Azam’s recall by Pakistan has also worked in their favour, so poor was he, but Smith has made scores of 19 not out, 100, 54, 37 and 65 since coming back into the team, and has clearly been the difference.
Smith apart, this looks an average Sixers batting line-up compared to previous years, with some old bones and a few struggling for form. They do bat deep, but get Smith early, and the Scorchers will fancy there isn’t enough quality there to cause too much alarm.
Followers of these pages are sitting pretty with 5/1 Scorchers tickets, advised in the pre-tournament preview here, so there’s no need to press up again, for all 8/11 for them to win the match does look fair enough.
That said, if this is indeed low-scoring, the market will fluctuate, and it’s worth noting the Scorchers were 4.5 on the Betfair Exchange to win he Qualifier at the halfway mark.
Finally, I want to add the aforementioned MAHLI BEARDMAN (5/1) to be TOP PERTH SCORCHERS BOWLER to the staking plan.
Beardman just gets better and better, and quicker, and though still only 20 years of age, I don’t think it will be long before we see him regularly sporting Australia colours. Fingers crossed he can stay fit.
He’s clearly well-suited by home conditions, and it’s worth noting that even before he dismissed Smith last week, he caused the Sixers talisman no end of problems, keeping him honest on the back foot and ghosting past his outside edge on one occasion.
The 5/1 looks all wrong, especially given that he has won this market in two of the Scorchers’ last three fixtures.
I’m backing Beardman to bowl the Scorchers to more Big Bash glory on Sunday.
Posted at 12:10 GMT on 24/01/26
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling.
Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
