Big Bash League: Finn Allen century powers Perth Scorchers to finals-securing win over Melbourne Renegades

Perth Scorchers have powered to a finals-sealing 50-run smashing of Melbourne Renegades on the back of a brilliant first Big Bash League hundred from Finn Allen. The New Zealander belted eight sixes in a power-packed 101 from just 53 balls to lead the Scorchers to an imposing total of 7-219, which they defended by restricting their hosts to 7-169 at Marvel Stadium. Perth are now guaranteed to finish inside the top four and are in prime position to end the regular season atop the ladder and secure hosting rights for the Qualifier, which they can claim by defeating Melbourne Stars on Saturday. But they may have an injury concern to deal with out of the result, with star Mitch Marsh — who is already carrying a finger concern — spending their fielding effort on the sidelines after suffering a knock to his heel while batting. Allen also watched the second innings from the sidelines due to cramp, which prompted Channel Seven expert Ricky Ponting to say the Scorchers were “taking the mickey” as substitutes Sam Fanning and Brody Couch fielded in their place. After losing the toss and being made to bat, the Scorchers’ opening pair of Allen and Marsh only managed to take 12 runs from the first two overs — but the scoreboard still read 0-41 at the conclusion of the four-over powerplay. Marsh broke the shackles by depositing Gurinder Sandhu into the crowd in the third over, which Allen promptly followed up on as part of an 18-run blitz against the competition’s leading wicket-taker. A 64-run opening stand ended when Marsh heaved a Sam Elliott slower ball to Sandhu at fine leg to depart for 20 from 15 balls but Allen carried on, bringing up his half-century in the ninth over and cracking Australia white-ball star Adam Zampa into the crowd shortly after. Perth took the power surge immediately after the mid-innings drinks break and Allen made his intentions clear by clubbing Sandhu’s first three deliveries after the resumption for sixes, the last of which travelled only millimetres from Marvel Stadium’s roof before settling in the second tier. As Cooper Connolly (18 from 12 balls) and Aaron Hardie (22 from 11 balls) came and went, Allen did not slow down with his milestone nearing, taking Hassan Khan for 20 to race from 77 to 97 inside the span of one over. He brought up three figures by running a brisk two which was at odds with the rest of his boundary-laden knock but was made to pay for the first ball he had mishit all night with his wicket shortly after, which Zampa claimed courtesy of a Jake Fraser-McGurk catch at long-on. Ashton Turner (13 from five balls) and Laurie Evans (21 from 11 balls) ensured no momentum was lost at the back end of the innings before second-gamer Luke Holt got in on the fun by smashing Perth’s 16th six of the night in the final over. Connolly was again entrusted with the first over of the bowling innings and provided the Scorchers with a perfect start, pinning Josh Brown lbw to send the dangerous Renegades opener on his way without scoring. Out-of-form aggressor Fraser-McGurk tried to spark his side to life by smashing three sixes in Jhye Richardson’s first over, which he followed up on by also depositing David Payne and Holt over the rope. But the Scorchers leg-spinner had the last laugh, picking up his first BBL wicket with a half-tracker Fraser-McGurk (42 from 18 balls) again tried to heave into the crowd, only to find Couch on the boundary. Mahli Beardman sent the Renegades further into the mire by quickly accounting for Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who was sent on his way for three by a composed catch from Perth’s fill-in gloveman Laurie Evans, and Khan for four. In between his two wickets, the speedster bowled a brutal bumper which pinned Harry Dixon on the neck, prompting the third-gamer to retire hurt and head to hospital for a precautionary assessment. The result was all but sealed when Connolly bowled Renegades skipper Will Sutherland for six in the ninth over, with the length of the Renegades’ tail evidenced by opener Tim Seifert opting to turn down an early chance for a single when batting with No.8 Sam Elliott. Late in the piece, Seifert (66 from 43 balls) and Elliott (13 from 18 balls) gave the score some respectability with a 60-run sixth-wicket partnership, but the pair never made any headway in reducing a required run rate already approaching 14 an over when they came together.