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The Perth Scorchers won Wednesday night’s Big Bash League T20 final at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
Chasing the Sydney Sixers’ 4-147, the Scorchers got home off the last ball in a thriller for the loss of six wickets.
Brett Lee, in his final cricket match, almost tied the game up with two wickets in the final over before a run out attempt on the final ball was fumbled letting the Scorchers reach 6-148.
Moises Henriques and Ryan Carters produced some late hitting to guide the Sydney Sixers to 5-147.
The Sixers looked to be in big trouble at 4-54 after 10 overs, after the Perth attack ripped through their top order.
However, Henriques (77 off 57) and Ryan Carters (35 off 25) dragged the Sixers back into the contest during a 98-run partnership fifth wicket.
Jason Behrendorff, who the night before was named Australian domestic cricketer of the year at the Allan Border Medal, led the Scorchers’ attack with 1-19 off four overs.
Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Yasir Arafat and Brad Hogg all took one wicket each for the Scorchers.
In the Women’s T20 final also played in Canberra on Wednesday, a five-wicket haul to Erin Osborne and some big hitting from Leah Poulton and Alex Blackwell guided NSW to a 52-run victory over Victoria.
Victoria were never in the hunt after NSW reached 3-175 off their 20 overs and Osborne (5-27) ripped through the Spirit batting line up at Manuka Oval.
The victory completed the national women’s double for NSW after they won their 10th successive one-day title on the weekend.
After coming together at 1-16 in the fourth over, Poulton (61 off 49) and Blackwell (72 off 43) put on a 99-run stand to form the backbone of the NSW innings.
Victorian captain Meg Lanning, who on Tuesday night was crowned the Australian women’s cricketer of the year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony, did her part, blasting 72 off 42, but received little support.
When she was dismissed playing a reverse sweep onto her stumps in the 17th over, the game was as good as over, and the Spirit ended their 20 overs at 8-124.
Blackwell was named player of the match. - AAP