When you look at the final results, you’ll see Perth Scorchers winning the BBL 2022/23 final with 5 wickets and 3 balls to spare. But only if you watched the game would you know how hard fought this BBL 12 final actually was. Brisbane Heat was at the bottom of the BBL points table last year and this time, they almost overturned the favourites to win a title.
There was a record crowd of 53,800+ at the Optus Stadium and Heat set up 170+ and picked up 3 early wickets of the Scorchers. In the middle of the innings, Ashton Turner and Josh Inglis pulled it back and just when the Scorchers seemed to be back on track, they lost both their set batsmen, leaving a couple of less experienced players to win the final and the tournament.
Perth Scorchers wins BBL 12 final
The captain Turner was run out and when all hopes seemed gone, 19-year old Cooper Connolly came out and announced himself at the biggest stage. He stood tall and cleared the boundary on multiple occasions, hitting a four and two sixes in a knock of 25(11)* which took the pressure of Nick Hobson at the other end as well. Connolly is sure to be the man in all conversations in the next few days.
The kid on the left just won the Scorchers the BBL
COOPER CONNOLLY!!! pic.twitter.com/CwnxqjvTXd
— Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) February 4, 2023
A new BBL season , a new hero and same winner. Perth Scorchers are just too 🔥 🥵. What a team! Definition of Dominance. Take a bow Cooper Connolly, 19 year old smoking 25*(11) and winning a Title. #BBL #PRSvBRH #Perth
— Prem (@PremSathan) February 4, 2023
COOPER CONNOLLY HAVE MY BABIES
— Michael Soh 💜🤍⚓️⚽️ (@mick_soh) February 4, 2023
They needed 38 runs to win in the final 3 overs and Connolly hit 18 runs off the 18th over, allowing only 20 needed from the final couple of overs. To make matters worse for the Heat, they didn’t complete their overs in the allotted time and had to pull in one more fielder in the 30-yard circle, as a penalty. Michael Neser was the bowler tasked with defending 10 runs in the final over of BBL 12.
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Neser missed the yorker on a couple of occasions and was hit for a six as well as a four in the first three balls itself, putting an earlier end to the game than we expected in the final over. The stadium erupted and the Scorchers team ran across on to the field, hugging and jumping on their two heroes out their on the pitch, who brought them their 5th BBL title. See the winning moment here:
The winning moment for Perth Scorchers – 5 time BBL Champions. pic.twitter.com/yCKJa9qNtR
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 4, 2023
What a final!
Heat should never have lost that though, Josh Brown with the Herschelle Gibbs moment. #BBL12
— Isaac💔💙🏆 (@wanga27) February 4, 2023
While Josh Brown was one of only two batsmen to hit 20+ sixes in the BBL 12 season, he dropped an important catch towards the end of the game. Positioned at deep backward point, Connolly skied one up on the second ball of the 19th over and Brown made a complete mess of it, probably dropping the BBL 12 final itself. As for Hobson, he ran out the captain but made sure he was there till the end after that.
"I thought I absolutely bottled it with that mix up with the skipper" 😅
Luckily for Nick Hobson it all ended well!#BBL12 pic.twitter.com/Su44pWGo9U
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 4, 2023
The ecstasy and agony for the Scorchers and Heat boys in India! #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/Km2jVC8Flq
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 4, 2023
Quite a few big names were missing because the Australian team is now in India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but as you can see above, they were watching the game from their hotel room in India as well. For similar cricket news from across the world, stay tuned to ReadScoops.com.
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