Scorchers prove too hot for Hurricanes

Another frugal bowling performance by the Perth Scorchers has secured an 18-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes in their KFC T20 Big Bash League clash at Blundstone Arena.

Defending only 141, Perth's dominant bowling attack once again proved too difficult to overcome, mixing pace, swing and spin to restrict the home side to 7-123 from 20 overs.

Opening bowlers Yasir Arafat and Jason Behrendorff both claimed 2-21 from four overs, as each of the five bowlers used by Scorchers skipper Adam Voges took a wicket and went for less than seven runs an over.

Michael Hill (65 off 44 balls) was the only batsman to offer any resistance in the run chase, unable to captialise on the terrific bowling display by English import Tim Bresnan (3-18) in the first innings.

A right hand injury to Brad Hogg is the only concern coming out of the impressive display that has seen the Scorchers move to the top of the BBL|04 ladder. 

Hogg's painful drop

Voges won the toss and elected to bat in perfect cricket conditions, but after a solid start openers Marcus Harris (20 off 12) and Michael Klinger (6 off 13) fell inside the power play.

More trouble would follow when last-start hero Michael Carberry (1 off 9) was out to a great catch by big quick Ben Hilfenhaus on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Voges and Sam Whiteman steadied the ship with a 30-run partnership, but Australia World Cup spinner Xavier Doherty accounted for the Perth captain, caught in the deep sweeping to fall for 26.

The loss of the skipper brought Whiteman and Ashton Turner together, forcing the pair to dig in before launching in the latter stages, combining for 62 off seven over just when the visitors needed it. 

Super fielding from Klinger saves five runs

Just as the momentum started to shift, Whiteman (36 off 32) fell to Reed, before Bresnan clean bowled a hampered Turner (37 off 25) and Ashton Agar (7 off 6), and also hit the stumps off his own bowling to run out Yasir Arafat (1 off 1) and end the Scorchers' innings.

The Hurricanes' chase got off to a rocky start when Ben Dunk (1 off 3) was bowled by a beauty from the towering Behrendorff in the opening over.

The left-arm quick struck again in the fourth over, removing Tim Paine for 19, as the highly-rated Scorchers attack applied the clamps to the hosts' pursuit of 142.

Shoaib Malik managed only eight off 13 before he was caught at long-off to give Agar his first wicket of the day, and when George Bailey (6 off 10) couldn't cope with the spin of Hogg, the Hurricanes' hopes were fading fast.

Hill was the only batsman to provide any resistance, scoring his first BBL half-century, but when he was caught by substitute fielder Cameron Bancroft in the deep, the Hurricanes' hopes walked off with him.