BBL|15 Final preview: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers

4h ago Jack Paynter & Chris Nice

Get everything you need to know as the Scorchers and Sixers battle it out for the ultimate prize in BBL|15

Match facts

Who: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers

What: The Final, KFC BBL|15

Where: Optus Stadium, Perth

When: Sunday, January 25. Bat flip at 3.30pm local (6.30pm AEDT), first ball at 4.15pm local (7.15pm 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: A final release of tickets will go on sale at 10am AWST (1pm AEDT) on Saturday. Get them here

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps

Officials: Sam Nogajski and Donovan Koch (field), Phil Gillespie (third), Gerard Abood (fourth), David Gilbert (match referee)

Match squads

Perth Scorchers: Ashton Turner (c), Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Laurie Evans, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Luke Holt, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Joel Paris, David Payne, Jhye Richardson

In: Joel Paris. Out: Sam Fanning

The Scorchers have found form at the back end of the season and enter the BBL|15 Final on a four-game winning streak. Joel Paris, who was the Scorchers' leading wicket-taker this season before being sidelined with a groin injury, is back in the squad and could play his first game in three weeks. But Ashton Agar (calf) has missed a comeback.

The form of allrounders Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly batting in the top order gives the home side flexibility to play an extra batter or bowler in the decider depending on conditions.

Sydney Sixers: Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

Unchanged

The unchanged Sixers face their second trip to Perth in a week after securing their spot in the decider with a convincing 57-run win over the Hurricanes on Friday. Veteran opener Daniel Hughes contributed a quickfire 13 having replaced Babar Azam after he was abruptly pulled from the BBL for Pakistan national duties.

Aussie stars Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were again on song in the Challenger and will be key to the Sixers' title hopes, as will Joel Davies who hit 27 off 12 balls and took two wickets in a superb all-round display.

What they said

“To play the Sixers again, there's obviously a lot of history there and it'll probably mean a little bit extra to get up against them on Sunday”

‐ Finn Allen, Scorchers batter

“We've had a good rivalry with Perth for a long time; we've played some really good cricket against each other; we've had some great games so hopefully it's another one on Sunday”

‐ Steve Smith, Sixers batter

Club news

Players to watch

Mahli Beardman (Scorchers): The 20-year-old speedster rose to the occasion in his first Big Bash final with three huge wickets, including that of Australian star Steve Smith. Coach Adam Voges believes Beardman is getting better with every game he's played this season, so can he leave his mark on a BBL Final like a 19-year-old Cooper Connolly did the last time the Scorchers reached the decider?

STEVE SMITH IS OUT 😱

20-year-old Mahli Beardman has done it again! #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/UIDpB3Xiz5
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 20, 2026

Steve Smith (Sixers): It just has to be Smith, doesn't it? Despite having played just five games, the superstar batter is now the Sixers' highest run-scorer in BBL|15 following his 65 off 43 balls in the Challenger, taking his tally to 275 at 68.75 striking at 167. Smith will have a point to prove too after being unable to get his side home against the Scorchers earlier in the week when he fell to young quick Mahli Beardman for 37.

Smith sparkles at SCG in another special knock for Sixers

Entertainment

Australian indie rockers The Jungle Giants will pump up the volume at the BBL|15 Final as the headline entertainment act, taking to the stage for two sets – one pre-game and another during the innings break.

The Jungle Giants will play at the BBL|15 Final // Morgan Hancock-Getty

The bumper crowd at the season decider can expect an epic show on and off the field, with the Jungle Giants setlist to include major hits 'Used to Be In Love', 'Heavy Hearted' and more, and they'll be accompanied by pyro lighting up Optus Stadium.

Top performers

Most Runs

BBL|15 BKT Golden Bat

Player	Total
1 David Warner D Warner	433
2 Finn Allen F Allen	430
3 Sam Harper S Harper	381
4 Aaron Hardie A Hardie	334
5 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	324
6 Ben McDermott B McDermott	322
7 Mitch Marsh M Marsh	316
8 Josh Brown J Brown	311

Most Wickets

BBL|15 BKT Golden Arm

Player	Total
1 Haris Rauf H Rauf	20
2 Gurinder Sandhu G Sandhu	18
3 Jack Edwards J Edwards	18
4 Tom Curran T Curran	16
5 Ben Dwarshuis B Dwarshuis	16
6 Peter Siddle P Siddle	16
7 Xavier Bartlett X Bartlett	15
8 Lloyd Pope L Pope	15

Most sixes scored

BBL|15

Player	Total
1 Finn Allen F Allen	37
2 Josh Brown J Brown	20
3 David Warner D Warner	20
4 Mitch Marsh M Marsh	18
5 Nikhil Chaudhary N Chaudhary	17
6 Matthew Renshaw M Renshaw	17
7 Ashton Turner A Turner	16
8 Sam Harper S Harper	15

Local knowledge

Rapid stats

This will be the second BBL Final at Optus Stadium after a 19-year-old Cooper Connolly inspired an epic Perth Scorchers comeback to win the BBL|12 championship. The Scorchers also previously hosted four deciders at the WACA Ground and one at Marvel Stadium in BBL|11.
The Scorchers are hunting an unprecedented sixth title, and the Sixers their fourth. Perth have played off in nine of the 15 BBL Finals, the most of any team. Incredibly, it will be the sixth time the two sides have battled it out for title honours in the competition's 15-season existence.

The Scorchers have won in five of their past six appearances in the BBL Final, including each of their past two, while the Sixers have lost each of their past two appearances in the BBL Final – they haven't recorded more than two consecutive defeats in such fixtures in BBL history.
The average total batting first at Optus Stadium in BBL|15 is 141 from 20 overs, the second lowest of any venue to host multiple games this season, ahead of the MCG (135.5). The highest first innings total at Optus Stadium this season is 153, scored by the Scorchers against the Strikers, which is the lowest of the any of the 10 venues to host multiple matches.
Perth Scorchers have won their past two BBL matches against Sydney Sixers, after winning only one of their four meetings prior in the competition.
Perth Scorchers have won nine of their past 11 BBL matches against Sydney Sixers in Western Australia; their only two defeats in that span were a three-wicket loss in January 2024 and a 48-run loss in December 2019.
Sydney Sixers have won six of their past seven BBL matches; although, their only defeat in that span came in their most recent meeting against the Scorchers in last Tuesday's Qualifier at Optus Stadium.

The Qualifier: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers | BBL|15

Perth Scorchers have won seven of their past eight BBL matches, including each of their past four; the last time the Scorchers recorded a longer winning run in the competition was a nine-match span from January 2023 to January 2024.
Perth Scorchers have hit a boundary once every 4.8 balls faced in BBL|15, the most frequently of any team in the competition – no other side has an average under five in this category (Melbourne Stars – 5.5).
Sydney Sixers have recorded the best bowling average (19.4) and strike rate (14.5) of any team in BBL|15; in fact, it's the Sixers' best in each category in a single season in BBL history.
Perth Scorchers' Aaron Hardie has scored 102 runs in the final five overs of the innings in BBL|15, the most of any batter this season.
Perth Scorchers fast bowler David Payne has a dot ball percentage of 50.9 from 114 balls bowled this season, the best rate of any player to have bowled more than two overs. Scorchers captain Ashton Turner has bowled exactly two overs and has a dot ball percentage of 83.3 (10 of 12 balls bowled).
Perth Scorchers duo Ashton Turner (189.8 from 127 balls faced) and Finn Allen (186.1 from 231 balls faced) have the best batting strike rates of any players this season (minimum 90 balls faced).
Jack Edwards (Sydney Sixers) has bowled 101 dot balls in BBL|15 – more than any other player and 17 more than the Scorchers' best (Mahli Beardman – 84); indeed, he's the only individual to have logged 100-plus in this category.

What's on the line?

It all comes down to this with the winner to be crowned BBL|15 champions! It would be an unprecedented sixth men's title for the Scorchers if they can get over the line in front of their home fans, with the Sixers gunning for their fourth men's crown and first since BBL|10.

BBL|15 finals schedule

Qualifier: Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers by 48 runs

Knockout: Hobart Hurricanes beat Melbourne Stars by three runs (DLS method)

Challenger: Sydney Sixers beat Hobart Hurricanes by 57 runs

Final: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, Optus Stadium (Sunday, January 25, 7.15pm AEDT)

*A reserve day on Monday, January 26 (7.15pm AEDT) is available for the Final

KFC BBL|15 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Total points PTS
1 Perth Scorchers Men SCO	10	7	3	0	1.363	14
2 Sydney Sixers Men SIX	10	6	3	1	0.605	13
3 Hobart Hurricanes Men HUR	10	6	3	1	0.331	13
4 Melbourne Stars Men STA	10	6	4	0	0.759	12
5 Brisbane Heat Men HEA	10	5	5	0	-0.431	10
6 Adelaide Strikers Men STR	10	4	6	0	-0.231	8
7 Melbourne Renegades Men REN	10	3	7	0	-1.202	6
8 Sydney Thunder Men THU	10	2	8	0	-1.212	4

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points