Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers beaten by Brisbane Heat in highest-scoring game in competition history

Perth Scorchers have found themselves on the wrong end of the highest scoring game in BBL history, going down to Brisbane Heat by eight wickets in one of the most remarkable run chases to ever play out at the Gabba.

Asked to bat first by their hosts, the Scorchers duly smashed 18 sixes across their 20 overs, breaking the previous BBL record of 17 on their way to the competition’s second-largest ever total of 6-257.

In the remarkable batting effort, Perth comfortably surpassed their previous highest-ever score of 229 against Melbourne Stars in 2022.

But the Heat ensured records for both the most runs scored and sixes hit across the course of a match were shattered, with brilliant hundreds from Matthew Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth blazing them past their massive target with one delivery to spare.

Cooper Connolly — who cracked his best ever Big Bash score with a brilliant 77 from just 37 balls — said the Heat pair deserved huge credit for their “two superb knocks”.

“It’s a hell of a Big Bash game, it’s a great advertisement for the game, it’s exciting,” he said.

“We were always in the game, we felt. We looked up and it was still 12 an over (required), so we felt like we were definitely in the game, it wasn’t like we were ever out of the game, it went down to the second-last ball.

“There’s a lot of positives for us as a group that we can take out of it, so we’ll keep moving forward.”

The Scorchers seized all the early momentum as Connolly and Finn Allen combined to club the ball over the boundary rope 14 times, with the pair sharing a white-hot 142-run second-wicket stand.

Connolly rebuilt the innings in magnificent style alongside Allen (79 from 37 balls) after Mitch Marsh again departed early.

Perth’s blistering batting effort was belied by something of a slow start as Marsh’s tough start to the season continued, making only three before smacking a Xavier Bartlett bouncer to Liam Haskett at deep square-leg.

It took until the game’s fourth over for the Scorchers to hit their first six but they quickly found their range, with Allen greeting the introduction of spinner Matthew Kuhnemann by clubbing three deliveries into the crowd.

Connolly got into the act by smacking Pakistan superstar Shaheen Shah Afridi straight back over his head for one six before belting another two from Kuhnemann’s next over to bring up his half-century, the same fashion Allen brought up his own milestone in with another huge hit off Wildermuth.

The pair continued to clear any boundary riders with ease until eventually departing courtesy of mis-hits, but Perth’s new batters were able to ensure no momentum was lost at the back-end of their innings.

Ashton Turner (12 from five balls) reverse-swept one six in his short and sweet knock, Aaron Hardie hit Haskett for another pair in a brisk 23 from 12 balls and Nick Hobson (26 from 11 balls) ensured the record was broken with a trademark slog over mid-wicket.

A perfect game for Perth continued when Jhye Richardson snared a wicket with the very first delivery of their bowling effort, marking his return to the side by having former Scorcher Colin Munro caught at point by Ashton Agar.

But Brisbane were able to conquer a required run rate of nearly 13 an over in their chase, with the Scorchers’ bowlers melting under sustained pressure as Renshaw and Wildermuth followed their blueprint of targeting the short boundary in brutal fashion.

Both batters cashed in after being given a reprieve — Renshaw chipped Richardson to mid-on on 20, only for replays to show the returning speedster had marginally overstepped, and Wildermuth presented a skied catching chance on 42 which was dropped by Turner.

Renshaw brought up his century by taking Richardson for a rare single in the 15th over before falling run-out attempting a second on 102 from 51 balls, after which Wildermuth (110 not out from 54 balls) ensured there would be no late wobble alongside Max Bryant (28 from 16 balls).

Connolly — who gave away only 12 runs in the two overs he bowled after being introduced in the 14th — was Perth’s only bowler to go at a run rate below 10 per over.

He said he was “pretty nervous” after being thrown the ball by Turner.

“It was a really crucial period of the game. To be honest, I was trying to bowl six yorkers,” he said.

“Luckily enough, I executed. I missed one, but other days, that can go the other way and I miss a lot and I get smacked.”