Jackson Barrett: Perth Scorchers star Ashton Turner’s knock a win for analysis over cricket customs

This was a win for data and matchups over the time-honoured rhythms of a cricket match. Why do you need to bat risk-free after a flurry of wickets? Is it more important to take risks when a batter is staring down a pre-determined friendly match-up. Perth Scorchers made the case in Tuesday night’s crucial win over Sydney Thunder. They lost three wickets in the first six overs, but Ashton Turner powered through the early pain to post his highest-ever Twenty20 score, a brutal 99 in a score of 8-202. After walking out at 3-34, Turner played five attacking strokes from his first eight balls and then launched two sixes and a boundary from his next three. His first boundary, a technically faultless upright drive through the on-side was followed by a brutish pull shot off Sams. Before Turner arrived at the crease, Josh Inglis made sure he was on strike to take down off-spinner Chris Green. The right-arm off-spinner turning the ball back into the right-hander who feasts on spinners. Turner had his eye on the same bowler later on and blasted three sixes in the ninth over. While the temptation was for a period of consolidation, the numbers and analysis clearly told the Scorchers otherwise. And they mapped it all out perfectly. Famously, Turner has pulled the Scorchers out of trouble time and time again. But rarely has he had to play a start-to-finish lead role. That’s why while it wasn’t his most important, this was his finest masterpiece. He is already the club’s leading run-scorer by more than 300 runs and will this season extend his lead from Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff at the top of the games-played charts. The captain had been under some pressure coming in. The strings he pulled in the field came under the spotlight after Friday night’s defeat to the Hurricanes But the 32-year-old may already be the franchise’s greatest player — and this boosted the case.