Sherfane Rutherford’s brilliant knock in the final over powered the Sydney Thunder to a resounding four-wicket victory over the Perth Scorchers in their 2024-25 Big Bash League clash. at Perth Stadium. In a back-and-forth match, Rutherford’s late fireworks sealed the Thunder’s third straight win, pushing them into second place in the points table.
Finn Allen lifts the Scorchers to a competitive total
Perth Scorchers, led by their explosive opener Finn Allen, scored a challenging 177/4 after winning the toss. Allen wasted no time attacking the Sydney Thunder bowlers, racing to 68 off just 31 balls. His innings, studded with six boundaries and five towering sixes, laid a solid foundation for the hosts.
Allen found early support from Matty Hurst, who put up a steady 23 before falling to Chris Green. However, with Allen gone, the Scorchers’ middle order faltered. Green’s double strike – the dismissal of Allen and skipper Ashton Turner for a duck – triggered a mini-collapse as the Scorchers slumped from 102/1 to 110/4 in no time.
Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson then steadied the ship with an unbeaten 67-run partnership. Connolly top scored with a calm 43* off 31 balls while Hobson added 21* off 17 to push the Scorchers to a competitive total.
Warner and Gilkes lead the Thunder’s Chase
Chasing 178, Sydney Thunder suffered an early blow when Blake Nikitaras fell for just one run. However, captain David Warner took charge, putting on an 89-run partnership with Matthew Gilkes to put the Thunder in front.
Both batsmen scored quick 40 seconds, with Warner falling just one short of a half-century. His 49 off 33 balls included five boundaries and two sixes, while Gilkes contributed a solid 40 before being run out by a wide delivery from Cooper Connolly.
Just when the Thunder seemed to be in control, the Scorchers hit back. Jason Behrendorff and Lance Morris struck in quick succession, removing Oliver Davies and Warner to reduce the visitors to 113/4.
Rutherford takes charge in a thrilling finale
Enter Sherfane Rutherford. The West Indian all-rounder took the game by the scruff of the neck, hitting boundaries at will to keep the Thunder in the hunt.
Needing 12 from the final, Rutherford faced experienced player Andrew Tye. Regardless of the pressure, he smashed three boundaries in the over. That included four final possessions to get the Thunder over the line.
Rutherford’s unbeaten 39 off 19 balls included five fours and a six.
Debutant Hugh Weibgen also played a crucial role in the chase. The young batsman launched a six during his six-ball stint, finishing with an unbeaten 9*.
With this win, Sydney Thunder have now won three games on the trot. They jumped to second place in the BBL points table.
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