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Preview: Scorchers set for title defence

Perth Scorchers are well-poised for an attempt at back-to-back BBL titles

Squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Klinger, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Voges (c), Sam Whiteman, David Willey (OS).

Ins: Cameron Green, Josh Inglis

Outs: Ian Bell (OS), James Muirhead

The inside word: Mitchell Johnson on the Scorchers' decision to fill just one overseas slot in BBL|07: "We dare to be different, which is good because we do it our way. We only have one overseas player this year, which can be good or can be bad, but it's definitely worked for us. We've got such a talented squad so we've got to back that squad. We keep it within Perth, which is a great trait and JL (coach Justin Langer) has done a great job."

Johnson's triple-strike stuns Stars

The talking points: The Scorchers have taken an unconventional route for BBL|07, electing to recruit just the one overseas signing in their bid for a fourth BBL crown, rather than filling their two permitted spots. England star David Willey returns for a third stint with the club, after his explosive batting and consistent wicket-taking played a major role in their title win last summer.

Ice cool Klinger seals BBL|06 title

BBL|06 result: Champions! The Scorchers claimed their third BBL title from six editions of the Big Bash last summer, toppling Sydney Sixers in front of a sell-out crowd at #TheFurnace in the final. Not much has changed in terms of personnel during the off-season, leaving Perth well-poised for a bid to go back-to-back. 

The one to watch: The Big Bash has yet to see the best of rising allrounder Hilton Cartwright, despite his recent success in first-class and 50-over cricket. But he's got the big-hitting, fast-scoring ability to become a force in the league and if this is the BBL tournament where his 20-over game clicks, he'll add yet another dimension to an already imposing Scorchers line-up.

Highlights: Scorchers v Lions, Optus Stadium

The pressure on: With the Marsh brothers and Cameron Bancroft unlikely to be available for at least the first half of the tournament due to their involvement in the Magellan Ashes, the Scorchers will be relying on their ever-reliable veteran Michael Klinger to produce the goods yet again. He's the leading run-scorer in BBL history, he's got the experience and the class, now the Scorchers just need him to put the runs on the board.

The fixtures: Dec 23 v Sixers (away), Dec 26 v Stars (home), Dec 29 v Renegades (away), Jan 1 v Sixers (home), Jan 5 v Heat (away), Jan 8 v Renegades (home), Jan 11 v Thunder (away), Jan 13 v Strikers (away), Jan 20 v Hurricanes (home), Jan 25 v Strikers (home).

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