Scorchers vow to shelve egos against leg-spin double-act

The Perth Scorchers have vowed to shelve their egos against the Brisbane Heat leg-spin double-act that has morphed into one of the KFC BBL’s most dangerous one-two punches.

Mitchell Swepson and Marnus Labuschagne again shape as the Heat’s trump cards for their Challenger final against the Scorchers on Thursday evening in Canberra.

Since returning from Test duties, the pair have taken 18 wickets at 13.66 between them in five games and conceded just a tick over seven runs per over.

The Manuka Oval crowd even sledged Swepson on Sunday by suggesting he was now the Heat’s “second” spinner behind Labuschagne. 

The duo accounted for all three of the Scorchers’ gun overseas batters in Brisbane’s six-run win a week ago, with Colin Munro, Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy all dismissed trying to clear the rope.

But Munro has suggested they will take a more subtle approach when the two sides go head-to-head for a spot in the BBL Final against the Sydney Sixers.

“I think just trying to take our egos out of it rather than trying to smash them for six every ball like we tried (last week),” the New Zealander said when asked how they will play the Heat spinners differently.

“Just to try play smart cricket. The other day when we played against them we went outside of our comfort zone a little bit.”

The Swepson-Labuschagne combination has been vital to the Heat’s four-game winning streak, and could be aided further by a Manuka Oval pitch that will be used for a third time in six days.

Manuka Oval’s head curator Brad van Dam had been expecting Sunday’s game to be the last BBL game of the season at the venue. After the two finals games were played on the same pitch over the weekend, that track will now be used again on Thursday.

The Heat leggies’ success has been a boon given they lost Mujeeb ur Rahman to international duties after the Afghan’s starring stint, having taken 14 wickets in eight games. His economy rate of 6.26 remains the best of any bowler in BBL10 (minimum six overs).

Swepson said Labuschagne was thriving in his new role as a genuine allrounder having been eager to bowl more in the past.

“I was copping it on the boundary the other night, (with the crowd) saying I was definitely the second spinner in the team,” Swepson laughed. “He (Labuschagne) hasn’t told me that yet but I reckon in his mind I think he definitely thinks that. 

“It’s been great to see ‘Marny’ bowl and get some good overs.

“I think in the past he’s been a little bit frustrated that he hasn’t got that opportunity to bowl in this format of the game. 

“You’re seeing what he can do now when he’s given that opportunity. It’s great to see him doing well.”

Cricket Australia’s decision to move the Challenger final away from Optus Stadium, due to Perth’s city-wide lockdown, to Canberra (after also considering the Gabba) marks a double blow for the Scorchers.

Munro was playing PlayStation in his Belconnen hotel room on Sunday when the entire Scorchers squad was summoned by coach Adam Voges to be told they would not be going back to Perth.

Not only is the club undefeated from their four games at their home ground in BBL10, but playing there would also have meant the bulk of their squad would have got to stay with their families having been separated for much of the tournament.

It had shaped as a last chance for the six Scorchers players picked in Australia’s T20 squad to spend time with loved ones before they head to New Zealand on Sunday. 

It is a particularly bitter pill for Jason Behrendorff whose wife Juvelle gave birth to their second child, Levi, only last month.

“I feel sorry for ‘Dorff’,” said Munro. “I’ve hung out with him and got to know him and his family pretty well. 

“He’s just got a young kid that’s just been born at the beginning of the Big Bash and he’s not going to see them for the next 7-8 weeks which is pretty hard. 

“I’ve been in that situation before. It’s hard when you’ve got family around that you don’t see often. Hopefully we can win and put a smile on their face.” 

BBL|10 Finals Series
(all matches will screen on Channel 7, Fox Cricket & Kayo)

The Eliminator: Brisbane Heat (4) beat Adelaide Strikers (5) by six wickets

The Qualifier: Sydney Sixers (1) beat Perth Scorchers (2) by nine wickets

The Knock-Out: Brisbane Heat (4) beat Sydney Thunder (3) by seven wickets

The Challenger: Perth Scorchers (2) v Brisbane Heat (4). Thurs Feb 4, Manuka Oval, 7:40pm AEDT

The Final: Sydney Sixers (1) v Winner of The Challenger. Sat Feb 6, SCG, 7.40pm AEDT