Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers held to another low total at Optus Stadium against Sydney Sixers

Perth Scorcher’s home-ground batting slump has worsened and has put their hopes of hosting an eighth Big Bash League final on thin ice.

Sydney Sixers held the minor premiers to 9-146 in the first innings of The Qualifier at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.

It means the Scorchers still have not passed 153 on their home deck all season, despite posting more than 200 in each of their away matches.

The low total also puts the onus on the Scorchers’ bowling attack to clamp star-studded opening pair Steve Smith and Babar Azam.

Adding to the chaos, a grass fire outside the stadium blanketed the venue in smoke on the 39-degree evening.

Red-hot New Zealand import Allen top-scored for Perth with 49 off 30 balls — including four sixes — before dependable captain Ashton Turner and a blazing Jhye Richardson salvaged the total.

Mitch Marsh lasted just seven balls and was caught at point trying to force a ball Starc had pulled back on.

A scare was sent through the Sydney camp when Starc dived for a pull and came up nursing a sore left shoulder, but he returned to close out a powerplay worth 1-25.

Allen ramped him for a six over the sight-screen to close, but as has been the case in recent matches, he truly got into his work after the restrictions were done. He didn’t hit a boundary in his first 10 balls,

So wary of his straight hitting ability were the Sixers at one point they had both a mid-on and a long-on in place. It didn’t stop him launching young spinner Ollie Davies for just the second six off his bowling all season. Even non-striker Aaron Hardie wore a brutal hit at the non-striker’s end and required treatment.

Allen passed the all-time BBL record for the most sixes in a season when he carved Ben Dwarshius for his 37th maximum over cover, splitting two deep off-side sweepers.

He was bowled by the very next ball, when he chopped a cutter back on to his stumps.

On the day he was unveiled as the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, the Scorchers slid Cooper Connolly down the order. After batting at No.3 for all of the past two seasons, Connolly was unveiled at No.5 and struck Joel Davies for a towering straight six off just his second ball.

He was out when Babar Azam took a diving catch at gully in Ben Manenti’s first over.

Hardie — who had replaced Connolly at No.3 — struggled to get going. He was starved of the strike during Allen’s smoke-show and was out when he left his bat up like a telescope to a Starc bouncer.

Laurie Evans and Turner took 14 off a Manenti over, including back-to-back switch hit fours by Turner and a clever Evans scoop.

But the English import — Perth’s last recognised batter — put a ball up the chimney off Dwarshius with more than five overs still to bat.

It was only once Richardson came in that the Scorchers took the power surge. Turner snuck a boundary through the covers off Starc and then pulled him for a six before Richardson took down Abbott in two overs worth 23.

Richardson was bowled in the final over by Jack Edwards for 20 off 18 balls and Turner was caught in a desperate heave for 29 off 21.

Earlier, the Scorchers pulled a selection surprise when they yanked leg-spinner Luke Holt out of the side and replaced him with paceman Brody Couch, who hadn’t played since the January 4 win over Adelaide.

The winner of tonight’s clash goes straight through to the final and will host the showpiece event on Sunday, while the loser plays a repechage match against either Hobart Hurricanes or Melbourne Stars on Friday night.

More to come.