Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers star-studded top order doused in loss to Melbourne Renegades

Like Avengers villain Thanos clicking his fingers, Melbourne Renegades decimated Perth Scorchers’ top order on a woefully prepared Marvel Stadium to hand the five-time champions a two-wicket defeat.

Despite boasting a 7-1 record at the Melbourne venue, the Scorchers suffered their second straight defeat in BBL14 on Monday, an undercooked and tacky wicket dousing their star-studded batting line-up.

Rising star Cooper Connolly showed his maturity and extreme ability with a brilliant 66 off 50.

But the more than degree of seam movement meant it took him 15 overs of ugly survival to find productive conditions after Perth were reduced to 4-35, having been sent in.

The Scorchers’ bowlers were also left hanging in the wind, defending 144 as the deck firmed up for the second innings, potential Ashes foe Jacob Bethell and former Scorcher Laurie Evans producing fireworks.

Melbourne did their best to throw the game away late, with near-chances and runouts causing mayhem, but Perth again found themselves 15 runs short.

“I think we saw how much seam movement there was in the wicket in the first eight to 10 overs of our innings and I think Cooper did a great job to get through that period and then was able to capitalise at the back end,” Scorchers coach Adam Voges said.

“Matthew Spoors in his first game did a really good job, and 143, we thought that was a competitive total and it proved to be.

“We probably just missed our lengths at times with the ball. But to take it as deep as we did, we didn’t get the result, but I was pleased with the effort.

“Clearly the wicket played differently in the second innings then what it did in the first innings, so it’s a shame that the bat flip had such an influence.”

Finn Allen’s desperate cry of “no” as he chipped one to short mid-wicket for a duck was the last thing the Scorchers wanted to hear as the pitch seamed wildly - labelled “extreme” by Renegades coach Cameron White - early.

It took 10 balls for Keaton Jennings to finally get the visitors on the board as balls plugged in the field before three leg byes helped them avoid the worst-ever BBL Power Play score of eight.

Jennings was left rueing the dicy turf as he was runout with his bat getting stuck in the soft grass after calling for a risky single.

Connolly struggled to two runs off 14 balls before depositing an Adam Zampa full toss into the crowd.

Josh Inglis also attempted to take the high road to form, but fell a metre short of the rope as Jake Fraser-McGurk took a simple catch.

The captain’s stay lasted eight balls, Ashton Turner’s stumps rocked by Tom Rogers for eight, leaving his side 4-35.

It left debutant Matthew Spoors a mountain of work to do, but he quickly showed off the power that saw him to an international T20 hundred for Canada, achieving a strike rate better than 100 as he moved to 29.

Just as he looked on for a big one, McKenzie Harvey, who ran Jennings out, abruptly ended his night with a ridiculous one-handed hanger on the first ball of the Power Surge.

Connolly continued to toil and was rewarded in the final overs, reaching his second half century of the season with a glorious cover drive for six before repeating the dose next ball.

The youngster monstered the first ball of the last over for six but fell to Zampa’s next delivery as the visitors posted 8-143.

Fraser-McGurk didn’t learn from the Scorchers’ struggles, launching into his third delivery faced and being caught for just two.

Had he waited, he could have cashed in, the wicket flattening out as New Zealand keeper Tim Seifert raced to 20 off 10 balls.

Matthew Kelly got his account underway, nicking the Kiwi off for 28 as he looked to break the back of the chase.

The Scorchers were back in the game as Andrew Tye had Josh Brown caught at mid-off for 12.

Spoor’s first delivery in Big Bash cricket didn’t go as planned, with Bethell sending a short ball into the mass of fans.

The left-arm spin of Ashton Agar and Connolly removed Bethell and Evans, but the home side required just 41 runs from 54 balls.

Turner brought himself on with immediate success, bowling Harvey for nine.

The pitch began taking turn as Connolly couldn’t grasp two very tough caught and bowled chances.

The game again appeared to be drifting out of Perth’s ambitious reach despite Kelly throwing down Rogers’ stumps for a sharp run out.

Fergus O’Neill was saved from his own runout by a coat of paint but fell trying to score the last four runs in one blow.

Renegades skipper Will Sutherland finally ended the contest with a chip down the ground.