Australian Twenty20 skipper Mitch Marsh has sent a powerful message to the cricketing world, unleashing a brutal century just hours after his national squad was confirmed for the upcoming World Cup.
Captain's Knock Leads Scorchers to Victory
In a dominant display at Blundstone Arena on Thursday night, Marsh hammered 102 runs from just 58 deliveries, propelling the Perth Scorchers to a commanding 40-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes. His innings, featuring 11 fours and five sixes, was the cornerstone of the Scorchers' imposing total of 3-229.
The victory was built on a record-breaking partnership. Marsh combined with Aaron Hardie for a 164-run stand for the third wicket, which now stands as the highest third-wicket partnership in the history of the Big Bash League. Hardie was equally destructive, finishing unbeaten on 94 from a mere 43 balls, also hitting five maximums.
Hurricanes Bowlers Feel the Heat
The Hobart attack had no answer to the onslaught. Speedster Riley Meredith bore the brunt of the punishment, conceding 61 runs from his four overs without taking a wicket. Fellow quicks Chris Jordan (0-41) and Nathan Ellis (2-44) also struggled to contain the flow of runs.
"It's good to see the T20 skipper back in form — unfortunately it was against us," a rueful Ellis joked in a post-match interview with Channel 7.
Hobart's Chase Falls Short
In reply, the Hurricanes' innings never gained the required momentum, finishing at 9-189. They lost wickets at regular intervals, despite some late fireworks from Nikhil Chaudhary (31 from 15) and Matthew Wade (29 from 14). The home side dearly missed the power-hitting of the injured Tim David, who is out for the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring issue.
For the Scorchers, spinner Ashton Agar was the pick of the bowlers with excellent figures of 3-38 from his four overs. All-rounders Aaron Hardie and Joel Paris each chipped in with two wickets.
The result had significant implications for the BBL ladder. It ended the Hurricanes' impressive run of nine consecutive wins on their home turf and saw them slip to a 4-2 record. Meanwhile, the Perth Scorchers solidified third position with a 3-2 record midway through their campaign.
In a side note, young Scorchers all-rounder Cooper Connolly, named in Australia's World Cup squad earlier in the day, had a quiet night with the bat, caught and bowled by Mitch Owen for just four runs.
