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Perth Scorchers 163 for 5 (Connolly 39*, Fanning 29, D’ Short 2-37) beat Adelaide Strikers 161 (Scott 67, M Short 40, Beardman 3-17, Behrendorff 3-21) by 5 five wickets
In front of 41, 878 at Optus Stadium, Connolly rose to the occasion once again and finished unbeaten with 39 from 21 balls to end Strikers – and Renegades – season.
But Melbourne Stars can leapfrog Scorchers and claim fourth spot if they beat Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL season-finale at the MCG on Sunday.
Connolly guides Scorchers over the line
Finn Allen has been boom or bust this BBL season. He was Scorchers’ x-factor and the fans hoped he could replicate Jake Fraser-McGurk’s earlier fireworks.
After a couple of early boundaries, it was an anti-climax with Allen hitting to midwicket before Aaron Hardie and Sam Fanning combined to get Scorchers back on track.
Hardie has been out of form with a top-score of 34 this season, but looked in a determined mood and started with a boundary. He stroked another down the ground and whacked a short delivery into the crowd.
But the match turned in the eighth over when Fanning was run out after a horrible mix up before Hardie moments later was stumped after failing to connect a flighted delivery from legspinner Lloyd Pope.
Connolly, however, was composed as he kept Scorchers on pace. The nerve-jangling chase had shades of the classic BBL 12 final and, fittingly, he stepped up under pressure again.
More to follow
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