Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers: match preview

9h ago Jack Paynter & Chris Nice

The Scorchers and Strikers face off for the Jason Gillespie Trophy at Optus Stadium

Match facts

Who: Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers

What: Match 23, KFC BBL|15

Where: Optus Stadium, Perth

When: Sunday, January 4. 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: Ben Treloar and Eloise Sheridan (field), Steve Dionysius (third), Daryl Brigham (fourth), Charlie Burke (match referee)

Match squads

Perth Scorchers: Ashton Agar, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Joel Curtis, Laurie Evans, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Bryce Jackson, Mitch Marsh, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Ashton Turner (c)

Ins: Joel Curtis. Outs: Finn Allen (injured)

Wicketkeeper Joel Curtis appears likely to make his BBL debut following a finger injury to back-up keeper and big-hitter Finn Allen during the Scorchers' last match against the Hurricanes. Curtis earned his first Big Bash contract just prior to this year's season opener against the Sixers, signing as a local replacement player for Josh Inglis (national duties).

Adelaide Strikers: Mackenzie Harvey, Chris Lynn, Harry Manenti, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Alex Ross, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Tabraiz Shamsi, Matt Short (c), Henry Thornton, Jerrssis Wadia, Luke Wood

Ins: Tabraiz Shamsi. Outs: Hassan Ali (omitted), Harry Nielsen (omitted)

Tabraiz Shamsi has signed with the Strikers as an overseas replacement for the remainder of BBL|15. The South African spinner comes in as cover for English pair Luke Wood and Jamie Overton, who have been named in England's T20 World Cup squad and will be unavailable for a possible Strikers finals campaign. Hassan Ali and Harry Nielsen have been omitted.

Club news

Players to watch

Mitch Marsh (Scorchers): Australia's T20 skipper found top gear for the first time in BBL|15 with as scintillating 102 off 58 balls in their last match against the Hurricanes. It was only a matter of time for Marsh who also registered a T20 international century against New Zealand earlier in the summer and said he'd been feeling "pretty good" despite missing out in their first four games of the season.

Marsh finds top gear to power to second BBL hundred

Jamie Overton (Strikers): It's been a quite start to the season for the England international with the bat, but Overton has been in top form with the ball and collected his best Big Bash figures of 3-19 in their New Year's Eve win over the Heat. The allrounder has taken six wickets in four games and it's only a matter of time until he finds his destructive best with the bat, having shown glimpses with scores of 30, 11 and 10 striking at 134 so far this season.

Top performers

Most Runs

BBL|15 BKT Golden Bat

Player	Total
1 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	243
2 Nikhil Chaudhary N Chaudhary	240
3 Sam Harper S Harper	231
4 Josh Philippe J Philippe	196
5 Ben McDermott B McDermott	193
6 Max Bryant M Bryant	179
7 Cooper Connolly C Connolly	174
8 David Warner D Warner	174

Most Wickets

BBL|15 BKT Golden Arm

Player	Total
1 Haris Rauf H Rauf	10
2 Tom Curran T Curran	10
3 Jack Edwards J Edwards	10
4 Peter Siddle P Siddle	10
5 Daniel Sams D Sams	10
6 Nathan Ellis N Ellis	10
7 Xavier Bartlett X Bartlett	8
8 Jack Wildermuth J Wildermuth	8

Most sixes scored

BBL|15

Player	Total
1 Finn Allen F Allen	14
2 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	14
3 Nikhil Chaudhary N Chaudhary	13
4 Cooper Connolly C Connolly	12
5 David Warner D Warner	12
6 Max Bryant M Bryant	10
7 Ben McDermott B McDermott	10
8 Ashton Turner A Turner	10

Local knowledge

Rapid stats

Perth Scorchers have won six of their past eight BBL matches against Adelaide Strikers in Western Australia, including a five-wicket victory when they last met in Perth (January 18, 2025).
Adelaide Strikers will be aiming for consecutive wins in the BBL for the first time since January 2024, following their seven-wicket victory against Brisbane Heat last time out.
Perth Scorchers have won each of their past two BBL matches; the last time they won more than two consecutive games in the competition was a nine-match span from January 2023 to January 2024.
Chris Lynn (Adelaide Strikers) has scored 294 runs at an average of 49 across his past seven BBL innings, including 79 not out against Brisbane Heat last time out; he'll be aiming for consecutive 50-plus scores in the competition for the first time since December 2023.
Ashton Turner (Perth Scorchers) has scored 923 runs at an average of 46.2 across his past 35 BBL innings; he scored 21 runs the last time he faced the Strikers (January 18, 2025).

What's on the line?

Each season the Strikers and Scorchers compete for the Jason Gillespie Trophy, which is named in honour of the former Australia fast bowler and Adelaide coach and celebrates Indigenous culture. The Scorchers are the current holders after winning the most recent clash last season by five wickets.

With a game in hand on the rest of the competition, a third win of the season will put the Strikers into the top four entering the business end of the season. The Scorchers meanwhile sit third with three wins and will be out to maintain their good form in front of their home fans.

KFC BBL|15 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Net Run Rate NRR	Total points PTS
1 Hobart Hurricanes Men HUR	7	5	2	0.187	10
2 Melbourne Stars Men STA	5	4	1	1.379	8
3 Perth Scorchers Men SCO	5	3	2	1.248	6
4 Brisbane Heat Men HEA	6	3	3	-0.786	6
5 Adelaide Strikers Men STR	4	2	2	0.395	4
6 Sydney Sixers Men SIX	5	2	3	0.202	4
7 Melbourne Renegades Men REN	4	1	3	-0.879	2
8 Sydney Thunder Men THU	6	1	5	-1.429	2

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points