Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers break BBL record by smashing 18 sixes against Brisbane Heat

A record-breaking display of six-hitting has powered Perth Scorchers to a monster total in the first innings of their clash with Brisbane Heat 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-highest ever score of 6-257.

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

Cooper 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.

Fresh off a half-century in Perth’s season-opening win over Sydney Sixers and attracting a bid of more than $500,000 in the IPL auction, Connolly cracked his highest ever Big Bash score, a brilliant 77 from just 37 deliveries.

The Scorchers star walked to the wicket after Mitch Marsh departed early again and rebuilt the innings in some style alongside Allen (79 from 37 balls).

Perth’s blistering batting effort was belied by something of a slow start as Marsh’s tough start to the season continued.

After being restricted by some good early bowling from Shaheen Shah Afridi and Xavier Bartlett, Australia’s white-ball captain could not resist a Bartlett short ball, which he pulled down the throat of Liam Haskett on the leg-side boundary to depart for three from nine deliveries.

Perth were able to get going by taking 15 from the final over of the power play, with both Allen and Connolly clubbing Barlett for six.

Connolly’s power was all the talk after his knock in their season opener but he showed he also has plenty of class by caressing both Haskett and Jack Wildermuth to the boundary with pure timing.

Nathan McSweeney’s gamble to introduce his spinner Matthew Kuhnemann with Allen hitting to the short leg-side boundary in the seventh over backfired spectacularly. The New Zealander responded by clubbing three sixes, the last of which sailed into the Gabba’s upper deck.

The Heat captain’s next move to was to re-introduce his trump card Afridi, which nearly paid dividends when Allen skied a hoik which Colin Munro put down.

And to rub salt into the wound, Connolly belted the Pakistan superstar straight back over his head just two balls later for a six measured at 92m, before continuing to dish out the punishment for Kuhnemann by taking another 17 from his second over, including yet another maximum which brought up his half-century.

Allen also brought up his milestone in the same fashion, again favouring the leg-side in clubbing Wildermuth into the crowd.

Not to be outdone, Connolly smeared another two sixes later in the over to fly past his previous best score in the competition, but his attempt at a third induced a skied catch which Bartlett was just able to cling on to at long-on.

Despite the loss of his partner, Allen carried on, smacking another three sixes across the next two overs from Haskett and Kuhnemann before falling to Afridi as he attempted to hit his ninth.

Later in Perth’s remarkable batting effort, 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.