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Match Report:

Scorecard

Bash Bros go wild to destroy Scorchers

Lynn and McCullum light up Perth for a sensational nine-wicket win to put the BBL on notice

The result: Perth Scorchers 6-173 (Marsh 71, Swepson 2-27) lost to Brisbane Heat 1-174 (Lynn 98*, McCullum 50*) with 32 balls to spare

The match in a tweet: Just WOW! Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum destroy the Scorchers with an unbelievable display of T20 power hitting

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The Bash Bros: Are you not entertained? The Perth Scorchers were on the receiving end of the full force of Brisbane Heat's destructive batting potential. The Scorchers faithful, partisan as they are, could only ooh and aah in appreciation as shot after shot after shot cleared the fence from these two master blasters. The partnership yielded 148 of the 174 Brisbane needed, the highest ever second-wicket partnership seen in the BBL, and the fourth highest for any wicket.

Chris Lynn smashes Heat to massive win

Lynsannity: It was a double act but the undoubted star of the show was Christopher Austin Lynn. We all know about his ability to clear the pickets and smash sixes, but this was just something else. The platform set for the Heat by Jimmy Pierson's whirlwind start allowed Lynn the freedom to get his eye in. It was 10 balls before he unleashed in trademark Lynn fashion, dispatching a Jye Richardson length ball an easy 96 metres into the stands.

The BIGGEST of all Chris Lynn's WACA sixes

It was the cue for an unbelievable onslaught. Eleven sixes flew from the willow Lynn wielded, the biggest of which landed on the roof of the Lillee Marsh stand where it stayed. Carrying a shoulder injury into the match, it had negligible effect on his batting as he rocketed to 50 from just 27 balls. When the dust settled he was 98 from 49 balls, 11 sixes and three boundaries. You can only wonder at what might have been possible if Brisbane had batted first.

Image Id: 5C75E951B5EB4F92975C361F602DD9E2 Image Caption: The Bash Bros: Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum // Getty

The Man Crush: Ahead of the match, Lynn posted a picture of him and McCullum on his Instagram feed, captioned "man crush". The relationship between the two Bash Bros is one of mutual respect. And they don't mind a joke out in the middle while they go about it either. After the match Lynn relayed that McCullum was calling himself the Renshaw to Lynn's Warner – a reference to Australia's Test match opening pair and their lopsided strike-rates. It was almost completely overshadowed that McCullum scored a half-century of his own, blasting 50 from 31 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

B-Mac goes bang... and smashes his bat!

Baz's big break: Kiwis are the nice guys of cricket, right? McCullum proved that doesn't extend to walking when the umpire doesn't notice that you've gloved one down the leg-side, as happened during McCullum's half-century last night.

Brendon McCullum catches a lucky break

The missed century: Lynn's tenth six took him to 92, with only six needed for the win. It was suggested Lynn might want to hit a four, then smash a six to seal the win, and a century. But Lynn was having none of that, launching his 11th six to take him to 98. He sauntered down the pitch, and said to McCullum "let's just go for an easy two here". A bemused McCullum replied "that's game mate". If only Perth could see the funny side.

Highlights of B-Mac's brutal half century

The shoulder: One of the more incredible things to ponder is that Lynn did all that carnage with one busted shoulder. He's had a history of shoulder injuries, and injured it diving in the outfield in the Heat's last match. But he took the risk for the high-stakes match and played. "It's a little bit tender, but we've got a few days off now so a lot of treatment, lot of rehab on the physio bench so I'll be good to go," Lynn told Network Ten after the match. He revealed he'll be off to the doctor immediately upon his arrival back in Brisbane for a cortisone injection with the Heat having a six-day break to their next match.

Bell's howler: Mitchell Swepson made an immediate impact for the Heat. A leading edge from noted player of spin Shaun Marsh, but more was to come. Ian Bell came down the wicket his first ball, and looked to defend it into the leg side. But the ball popped up off the pad, was collected by Jimmy Peirson and Phil Gillespie sent Bell on his way. The ex-England international was aghast, and replays showed he had every right to feel hard done by.

Ian Bell gone early, but was it out?

Super Swepson: The young Queensland leg-spinner continues to impress. Scorchers batsmen struggled to pick him – as did Heat wicketkeeper Peirson, who conceded four byes in his first over. McCullum used him for four consecutive overs. He was perhaps fortunate to get the wicket of Bell in his opening over, but the Scorchers batsmen struggled to pick him throughout. Shaun and Mitch Marsh were both beaten in the first over. He bowled shorter than usual for a leg-spinner, but kept the batsmen tied down. Only once did he err and give up a boundary, his second-last ball of the spell that Ashton Turner pulled for six. He finished with 2-27 and a burgeoning reputation further enhanced.

Mitch Swepson bamboozles the Scorchers

Mighty Mitch: On any other night this might have been the headline. When dropped from the Test squad, Marsh said it was time to free his mind, and his shoulders, indicating a willingness to attack and play an up-tempo game and the risks be damned. The Brisbane Heat felt the full force of a reinvigorated Marsh tonight. In at No.4, his very first ball nearly bowled him as a Mitchell Swepson's googly snuck through but missed the stumps and ran away from four byes. The first five balls yielded just three runs, and the leg-spinner kept him tied down but against the quicks, Marsh exploded.

Mitch Marsh blasts 70 off just 41 balls

Three sixes, including a monster 102-metre strike that ended on the roof of the players' pavilion, and another five boundaries fired him to 70 from 41 balls. After his knock he told Network Ten: "The Big Bash is about going out there and trying to flog a few. I'm just really enjoying the responsibility of batting up the order." Asked about his monster 102m six, he conceded "it did me a little, I just swung and got lucky to be honest". Marsh hits it hard. So hard, that when he top-edged Mark Steketee the ball flew so far into the air, the Perth batsmen had near enough completed two runs before the ball nestled safely back at ground level in the bowler's hands.

Mitch Marsh slogs one on the roof

The Ladder: This was a match-up of the BBL's top-two teams, and winners of three of the previous five titles, but became an utterly one-sided affair. It means Brisbane are top of the pile with four wins from their five matches and a huge net run rate of 0.997. Perth remain second, now tied with the Sydney Sixers with three wins from five matches.

International issues: Perth lose England import David Willey, one of a number of the Englishman in the Big Bash heading to India for their country's ODI and T20 series on the subcontinent. The Heat have already lost Windies spinner Samuel Badree for a fortnight with a hamstring strain, and may potentially lose Lynn who has made a strong case for Australia's one-day team that will play five matches against Pakistan, but the Queenslander needs to get that shoulder injury sorted first.