Turner’s Blistering 99* Powers Perth Scorchers to Thumping Win Over Sydney Thunder

Perth Scorchers defeated Sydney Thunder in a commanding fashion by 71 runs. They dominated the Thunders in both innings of the match, showcasing their allround skills. The hard-hitting Ashton Turner was the star of the match, as he smashed an unbeaten 99 runs in the first innings of the game. His breathtaking knock propelled Scorchers to a big total of 202 runs, which proved to be a match-winning score in the end.

Sydney Thunder remained largely disappointing, as they failed to counter the Scorchers attack in both innings of the game. Their superstar captain, David Warner, once again failed, as he did not score anything substantial while chasing the target.

Batting first, Perth Scorchers did not have a great start, as their top order failed to score quickly in the Powerplay. Mitchell Marsh once again disappointed by getting out on just 6 runs. His partner, Finn Allen, also failed to make an impact and was dismissed for just 11 runs.

The in-form Cooper Connolly then came to the crease and played sensibly to take the innings forward. Interestingly, he also looked out of touch in today’s match, as his strike rate remained low during a brief period of time.

The batting innings of Perth Scorchers was going nowhere until Ashton Turner came to the crease with a clear intent of hitting. His aggressive batting completely changed the face of the Scorchers' innings, as the scoring rate soared during the middle overs.  

He took on the Sydney Thunder bowlers without any fear, showcasing his batting might in front of a packed stadium. He was well supported by Aaron Hardie, who also played a superb cameo of 28 runs in the death overs.

The bat of Ashton Turner kept hitting big boundaries till the end, as he scored an unbeaten 99 runs at a huge strike rate of 241 to give Scorchers a commanding total of 202 on the board. He fell just one run short of a magnificent century; however, his innings was still well worth watching.

A Failed Attempt by Sydney Thunder to Chase the Target

Coming out to chase the target, Sydney Thunder started cautiously to keep the wickets in hand. Their key batter, David Warner, struggled to score runs quickly as Scorchers kept him under pressure. The other opener, Matthew Gilkes, looked in good form at the start of the innings. He took advantage of the Powerplay to hit boundaries at a solid strike rate of 173.

Unfortunately, his stay at the crease ended in the 8th over, as he got out after scoring 33 off 19 balls. A terrible mix-up with Sam Konstas cost him his wicket, as he was run out while trying to sneak a single. After his dismissal, the middle order of the Thunders collapsed miserably. A lot of credit should be given to the Perth Scorchers’ bowlers, who produced a fine spell to dismiss the Thunder’s middle order quickly.

As a result, the entire Sydney Thunder folded for just 131 runs in 17.3 overs. It allowed Perth Scorchers to win the match by 71 runs, with which they have now secured third position on the BBL 15 points table.