Scorchers secure Big Bash League

A final-ball thriller had it all as Perth Scorchers claim back-to-back Big Bash League titles

 Hello everyone and  a warm welcome to the all important  final of the 2014-15 Big Bash, Australia's glitzy domestic T20 competition, as a defending champions Perth Scorchers take on Sydney Sixers at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The most talked-about Twenty 20 competition in the world. Three Englishman. The final game of the Australia legend Brett Lee's career.

The Englishmen abroad

England fans will be familiar with Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry, who played his last winter's Ashes series in Australia and he is one of the leading lights of the Scorchers side. He lines up allongside fellow English Riki Wessels (who was born in Australia), while Nottinghamshire team mate Michael Lumb a member of the England team won the competition in 2012. Both Carberry and Lumb have shone with the bat in this season's competition and, just helped persuade those Aussies who witnessed the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash that the poms aren't quite as hopeless as they thought.

Road to the Final:

Scorchers: The defending champions lost a thrilling opening game against the Strikers, but bounced back with back-to-back wins in the next two games. Although they lost to the Thunders in their next encounter, they won three consecutive matches, which assured them a place in the semifinals. The Stars stunned them in their last league game, but the Scorchers used all their experience and successfully defended a relatively low total and knocked the Stars out to seal a place in final.

Sixers: The Sixers had a great start to the season,winning their first three games convincingly. However, they lost a bit of momentum with their lost to the Scorchers and tied their next games against the Stars, before eventually losing in the Super Over. Although they lost to the Strikers, victories over the Heat and the Thunder kept them in good space and they went on to the Strikers in the semifinal.

Teams:

Perth Scorchers (playing XI): Shaun Marsh, Michael Klinger, Adam Voges(c), Michael Carberry, Sam Whiteman, Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nlie, Yasir Arafat, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Brad Hogg.

Sydney Sixers (playing XI): Michael Lumb, Riki Wessels, Nic Maddinson, Moises Henriques (c), Jordan Silk, Ryan Carters, Sean Abbott, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Brett Lee, Doug Bollinger.

 If you look at the history, maybe you would say the Scorchers are the favourites, for they have played the final thrice before since the inception of BBL in 2011-12. On the other hand, the Sixers have played just one, but managed to get better of the Scorchers, their opponents, and win the title. So it will be interesting to see how both teams handle pressure. 

 After 34 hard fought games, they are left with two teams who are desperate to get their hands on the trophy. Defending champions Scorchers lock horns with the Sixers at the Manuka Oval. Both teams have been crowned champions in the competition. If the Scorchers lifted the title last season, the Sixers won the inaugural edition in 2011-12. It is quite clear that both teams know what is to play in the final. 

Lee's final farewell: 

So it's time to say goodbye to Brett Lee, one of the Australia greats and among the finest fast bowlers to have played the game. He retired from international in 2012, but he announced earlier this month that this game is the last of his career. Win or lose, we can expect some tears.

 Perth Scorchers have made it back-to-back triumphs in the KFC T20 Big Bash League in the most thrilling circumstances in Canberra, chasing down 148 against a valiant Sydney Sixers with four wickets in the hand off the final ball of the match. 

 A match that ebbed and flowed from the outset seemed destined to come down to the final over, fittingly bowled by retiring superstar Brett Lee, who claimed two wickets to be on a hat-trick with the final delivery of his career.

 But it wasn't to be, as Yasir Arafat dug out the yorker and took off for what seemed a suicidal single, only for the Sixers to miss a run-out opportunity and the Scorchers scrambled home to claim the title for the second time.

 Justin Langer's men dominated the early stages of the match, taking four wickets inside the first 10 overs, but a superb innings from Moises Henriques (77 off 57) and capable support from Ryan Carters (35 not out off 25) swing the match back on an even keel at the mid-innings break.

  Henriques has won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that looked like it would contain a little something for both pace and spin, and the former quickly proved true.

 Nathan Coulter-Nile continued his fine comeback from with the breakthrough wicket of Michael Lumb (3), and seven ball later, it was opening partner Jason Behrendroff's turn to knock over an import, as Riki Wessels (2) dismissial left the Sixers reeling at 2-7 after three overs. Nic Maddinson and Henriques looked the pair most likely to resurrect the innings, and for a while they set about doing exactly that, until Yasir Arafat broke the 37-run stand with a lethal yorker that castled Maddinson for 19. And when Brad Hogg bowled Jordan Silk through the gate the very next over, the Sixers were in all sorts of trouble at 4-49 in the 10th. Sixers fans were hoping for someone to stand up alongside Henriques, amd they found their man in Carters. The keeper batsman joined his skipper fightback, combining for a 98-run stand that revived the contest, as the two collected 63 from the last five overs before Henriques was run out from the final ball of the innings. Scorchers pair Shaun Marsh (73 off 59) amd Michael Klinger (33 off 37) utilised their considerable experience to negotiate their way through the first half of the innings, upping the run rate as the partnership wore on as they expertly took  control of proceedings. Klinger set the tone early with a couple of well-timed fours through the off side, before Marsh broke the shackles by lifting Nathan Lyon over wide long on for a maximum. The gifted left-hander looked the part from there as Henriques rung the changes and finally the reintroduction of Lee did the trick. The veteran quick tricked Klinger with a slower ball, who picked out Sean Abbott at backward square leg to leave the Scorchers at 1-70 in the 12th over. Marsh and Scorchers captain Adam Voges grafted away but it was the Sixers who suddenly started piling on he pressure, with Lee conceding just three from his first two overs and Abbott also containing well. Voges (20 off 13) attempted to force the pace off Doug Bollinger but skied a chance to Carters, who made no mistake. But Marsh was the main man, and the turning point came after he had passed his half-century when Lee returned and was no-balled for having just three men inside the circle. Bollinger was the culprit, and Marsh faced a wide before capitalising on the free hit with a six, and with two taken on the initial no-ball, the Scorchers had effectively taken 10 from one Lee delivery, reducing the equation from 32 needed off 18 to a much more manageable 22 off 17. Henriques bravely gambled in the penultimate over by bringing on Lyon, who promptly repaid his captain's faith, enticing Marsh into the the big shot first up, with the opening batsman picking out Abbott at deep mid-wicket. Two balls later, Ashton Turner was out for a golden duck. also holing out to Abbott who was seemingly everywhere in the field. A six from Lyon's final delivery from Coulter-Nile meant eight was needed from the final over- Lee's final in a wonderful career and after Carberry went 4,2,1 from the first two deliveries to levels the scores, the contest looked done and dusted. But the highest drama was yet to come. Charging in for the final few times, Lee knocked over Coulter-Nile, sending Manuka with his trademark chainsaw celebration. Next ball, incredibly, he repeated the dose, clean bowling Sam Whiteman to suddenly raise the psddibility of a Super Over from almost nowhere. The 38-year-old was on a hat-trick, and Arafat was on strike with two deliveries remaining. Yasir Arafat made contact, squirting it out to wide midwicket where the throw came in but Henriques, standing over the stumps, failed to hang onto the hot return a miss that cost him the opportunity to run out the standard batsman.

 With that, the title was retained by the Scorcher, who solidified their dominance on the Big Bash League and will represent Australia, along with the Sixers, at this Year's Champions League Tournament.

 Jacques Kallis receives the Man of the Tournament.

 Shaun Marsh receives the Man of the Match.

 That's all from our side, We enjoyed bring you the tournament, hope you enjoy it as well. looking forward for your company on another day, Until then, it's goodbye and cheers!!!