The Scorchers host the Heat in Perth in the second match of a blockbuster Boxing Day double-header
Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes: match preview
Match facts
Who: Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes
What: Match 12, KFC BBL|15
Where: Optus Stadium, Perth
When: Friday, December 26. Bat flip at 5.30pm local (8.30pm AEDT), first ball at 6.15pm local (9.15pm AEDT)
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Shawn Craig and Mike Graham-Smith (field), Drew Crozier (third), Sharad Patel (fourth), Charlie Burke (match referee)
Match squads
Perth Scorchers: Ashton Turner (c), Ashton Agar, Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Laurie Evans, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Bryce Jackson, Mitchell Marsh, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli
Ins: Corey Rocchiccioli. Outs: Jhye Richardson (Australian Test Squad)
After playing one match with the Scorchers, speedster Jhye Richardson has been called into the Australian Test squad for the Boxing Day Test. Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli has joined the Scorchers as a local replacement player and replaces Richardson in the squad.
Hobart Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jackson Bird, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Rishad Hossain, Chris Jordan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Billy Stanlake, Tim Ward, Mac Wright
Ins: Mac Wright. Outs: Matthew Wade (injured)
Matthew Wade has been ruled out of the Hurricanes Boxing Day squad through an injury sustained against the Renegades. Wade has been replaced in the squad by Mac Wright, who would make his first appearance in BBL|15.
Club news
Perth Scorchers
Hobart Hurricanes
Get the latest
Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsListen on iHeart Radio
Players to watch
Mitch Marsh (Scorchers): Australia's T20 skipper was our player to watch in their season opener too and is surely due to fire at home in front of a bumper crowd on Boxing Day after scores of 0 and 3 in their opening two games. Marsh came into the tournament as one of the most in form white-ball batters in the country with a century in each of the ODI and T20 international formats since the start of the home summer.
Rishad Hossain (Hurricanes): We're loving what the 'Canes Bangladeshi leggie is doing in his debut Big Bash season with hauls of 1-21 and 2-33 in his past two games against the Renegades and Stars respectively. At 189cm tall, he could prove tough to handle with the bounce he'll be able to extract from the Optus Stadium surface.
Top performers
Most Runs
BBL|15 BKT Golden Bat
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
1
Josh Philippe
J Philippe
|
170 |
|
2
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
163 |
|
3
Ben McDermott
B McDermott
|
156 |
|
4
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
136 |
|
5
Tim Seifert
T Seifert
|
136 |
|
6
Nikhil Chaudhary
N Chaudhary
|
127 |
|
7
Jack Wildermuth
J Wildermuth
|
124 |
|
8
Matthew Gilkes
M Gilkes
|
108 |
Most Wickets
BBL|15 BKT Golden Arm
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Jack Edwards
J Edwards
|
8 |
|
2
Jack Wildermuth
J Wildermuth
|
6 |
|
3
Chris Jordan
C Jordan
|
6 |
|
4
Shadab Khan
S Khan
|
6 |
|
5
Haris Rauf
H Rauf
|
5 |
|
6
Jason Behrendorff
J Behrendorff
|
4 |
|
7
Tom Curran
T Curran
|
4 |
|
8
Peter Siddle
P Siddle
|
4 |
Most sixes scored
BBL|15
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
11 |
|
2
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
11 |
|
3
Finn Allen
F Allen
|
10 |
|
4
Ben McDermott
B McDermott
|
9 |
|
5
Jack Wildermuth
J Wildermuth
|
9 |
|
6
Nikhil Chaudhary
N Chaudhary
|
7 |
|
7
Tim Seifert
T Seifert
|
7 |
|
8
Sam Billings
S Billings
|
6 |
Local knowledge
Rapid stats
- Hobart Hurricanes will be aiming for consecutive wins against Perth Scorchers in the BBL for the first time since January 2020, following their eight-wicket victory in their most recent meeting (December 21, 2024).
- Perth Scorchers have won each of their past two BBL matches at Optus Stadium, as many as they won across their six games prior at the venue (won two, lost four) while the Hobart Hurricanes have won three of their past five games outside Tasmania.
- Perth Scorchers have recorded three runs per scoring shot so far in BBL|15, more than any other team in the competition; in fact, the Scorchers have logged just 14 per cent of their total runs from singles this season, the lowest rate of any side.
- Mitch Owen (Hobart Hurricanes) has a batting strike rate of 235.3 during the Powerplay in BBL|15, the best of any player in the competition; teammate Nikhil Chaudhary (46) has scored the most runs of any player during this four-over period (Owen – 40).
- Perth Scorchers duo Finn Allen (76 per cent of 95 runs) and Cooper Connolly (75 per cent of 136 runs) have scored a higher percentage of their runs from boundaries than any other players in BBL|15 (min. 45 runs scored).
What's on the line?
The Scorchers will be out to bounce back after scoring a whopping 6-257 against the Heat before going on to lose the match in their previous start. They return home to Optus Stadium searching for their second win of BBL|15 after winning the season opener at the venue earlier this month.
The reigning champions meanwhile have looked sharp for their two wins this season and are sitting pretty in the top half of the standings.
KFC BBL|15 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
STA
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.541 | 0 | 4 |
|
2
HUR
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.45 | 0 | 4 |
|
3
SIX
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.569 | 0 | 2 |
|
4
SCO
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.365 | 0 | 2 |
|
5
THU
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.258 | 0 | 2 |
|
6
STR
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.376 | 0 | 2 |
|
7
HEA
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.755 | 0 | 2 |
|
8
REN
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.331 | 0 | 2 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points