Scintillating Marsh powers Scorchers to top of the table

An epic unbeaten hundred from Aussie World Cup star Mitch Marsh – his first in T20 cricket – has delivered the Perth Scorchers a crushing victory over the Hobart Hurricanes to move to the top of the KFC BBL|11 ladder.

Marsh, in his first BBL game back after Australia A duties, walked to the wicket in the first over of the match when Colin Munro, who hit a century in the previous game, fell for a duck to Joel Paris.

The right-handed power-hitter, fresh from a blistering 60 not out off 27 balls in the tour match against the England Lions, hit his first ball for four over mid-off and his next for six over the sight screen as he continued his sparkling form from the T20 World Cup.

The 30-year-old proceeded to tear apart the Hobart Hurricanes attack over the next 19 overs, bringing up his maiden BBL century off the second last ball of the innings as the Scorchers posted 5-182 at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.

Marsh, the hero of the final in Australia's T20 World Cup triumph last month, finished on 100 not out from just 60 balls in a knock that included six fours and five sixes, with his last 33 runs coming off just 10 deliveries.

The Hurricanes chase got off to a disastrous start when Matthew Wade – who also starred in that World Cup win – fell for just four in the first over.

Caleb Jewell followed an over later as the Hurricanes posted the lowest four-over powerplay of the tournament so far (2-15) as D'Arcy Short (31 off 29) and Ben McDermott (41 off 29) looked to rebuild the innings.

Both hit a couple of monster sixes but when England fast bowler Tymal Mills removed McDermott it triggered a collapse of 4-10 to effectively ice the game.

Tim David (17 off 10) and Sandeep Lamichhane (13no off 9) struck a couple of late boundaries before the Hurricanes were bowled out for 129 with an over to spare, handing the Scorchers a 53-run win.

Mills was the pick of the Perth bowlers with 3-23, while Andrew Tye's 2-31 made him just the fourth bowler to reach 100 career BBL wickets. 

Earlier, Scorchers' Kiwi import Munro was caught at mid-off from a leading edge on the fourth ball of the innings with left-hander Kurtis Patterson falling in similar fashion three overs later to Nathan Ellis.

In between, the Hurricanes' West Australian quick Paris left the field with a groin injury to further sour the crushing loss.

A steady flow of wickets halted the Scorchers momentum each time they looked to up the ante and Marsh didn't hit another boundary for 25 balls after whacking his first two to the fence.

Dangerous wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis – also in his first game back from Australia A duties – fell for just two and when skipper Ashton Turner sliced one deep cover Marsh was forced to rebuild the innings.

A counterpunch 40 off 24 balls from English import Laurie Evans helped the Scorchers seize control back from the Hurricanes in a partnership of 67 before Marsh grabbed the ascendency in the final few overs to push the total above nine runs and over.

Marsh said he loved playing for the Scorchers and it was good to be back in orange again.

"I obviously started and I was swinging pretty hard and we lost a few wickets so I lost my momentum," he said on the Fox Cricket broadcast after the game.

"Laurie Evans came in and played a gem of a cameo and I found my momentum at the end."

Although he hit his first two balls to the boundary, like he did in the T20 World Cup final, Marsh said he wasn't necessarily walking out and trying to smash his first ball to the fence.

"It's more just my mindset, my preparation, I know that if I prepare well that I can go out there and take the game on from ball one," he said.

The win keeps the Scorchers BBL|11 undefeated streak alive as they leapfrog the Sydney Sixers to the top of the table.

The two sides face off again next Monday in what could possibly be Scorchers final game in Perth for the season due to the West Australian government's COVID border closure.

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