PERTH: Cooper Connolly backed up his economical bowling figures of 1/18 with an anchoring half-century to lead Perth Scorchers to a resounding six-wicket victory over Melbourne Stars in the opening match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2024 here at Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, the Stars managed just 146/9 in the allotted 20 overs despite Tom Curran’s 37-run cameo at the backend.
The visitors made a shaky start to the innings, with Jhye Richardson dismantling their top order with two quick wickets.
The Stars then lost three more wickets in quick succession and eventually fell to 77/5 in 13 overs.
Skipper Marcus Stoinis offered some turnaround in the middle but came to an unfortunate end to his gutsy knock as he was run out after scoring 37 off 33 deliveries.
Coming out to bat at number seven, Curran launched a counter attack on the Scorchers’ bowlers with belligerent batting.
The right-handed batsman hit three fours and as many sixes on his way to a 19-ball 37, helping the Stars break the 140-run barrier.
Jhye Richardson was the Scorchers’ standout bowler, taking three wickets, followed by Lance Morris with two.
For his brilliant bowling figures, Richardson was named player of the match.
Chasing a modest target of 147 runs, the home team comfortably knocked out the winning runs, losing just four wickets and 17 balls to spare, thanks to Connolly’s half-century.
The left-handed batsman top-scored for the Scorchers with a challenging 64 off 51 balls, studded with four fours and three sixes.
In addition to him, Ashton Turner also played a key role in recovering from a dismal start. He scored an unbeaten 37 off 27 deliveries, while Nick Hobson contributed 14 balls and 27 not out.
For the stars, Brody Couch, Curran, Peter Siddle and Adam Milne each did a scalp.
The four-wicket victory put the Perth Scorchers at the top of the BBL 2024 standings with two points, while the Melbourne Stars slipped to last place.
