Star Sydney Sixers recruit Babar Azam failed to follow up the pre-match lightning with his own fireworks as the Perth Scorchers posted a five-wicket win in the BBL season opener at Optus Stadium.
Perth’s Cooper Connolly was named player of the match after his side’s win over the Sydney Sixers.Credit: Getty Images
Lightning and heavy rain in Perth reduced Sunday’s match to an 11-overs-a-side bash, with the Sixers posting 5-113 on the back of an unbeaten 46 off 21 balls from Jack Edwards.
Pakistan superstar Azam made just two – and he was lucky not to get out on two occasions before that – as the Sixers slumped to 4-41 before Edwards and Josh Philippe (28 off 18) launched a rescue mission.
In reply, the Scorchers reached their victory target in 10.1 overs on the back of Connolly’s 59 off 31 balls, with his knock featuring five sixes and three fours.
“He’s a matchwinner,” Scorchers captain Ashton Turner said of Connolly.
“I mean, we’re just seeing him get better and better every time he gets exposure to professional cricket. We’ve seen it for Australia as well.
“And clearly he’s been identified as someone who’s going to play a lot of international cricket across three formats, and we’re just going to cherish the time that we’ve got him in orange.
“He’s very much in the ilk of Shaun Marsh, who played some mightily good cricket for us for a long period of time.
