Cooper Connolly and Finn Allen have put on a baseball-style clinic against the Brisbane Heat as the Perth Scorchers set a new BBL mark for the most sixes hit in an innings.
The Scorchers posted a franchise-record 6-257 in Friday night’s clash at the Gabba, with Allen (79 off 38 balls) and Connolly (77 off 37) doing the bulk of the damage.
Perth whacked a BBL-record 18 sixes during their innings to better the previous record of 17 – also set by the Scorchers.
The Scorchers’ total was the second biggest in BBL history, with the Melbourne Stars still holding the record for their 2-273 against the Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG in 2021-22.
Star opener Mitch Marsh (3) fell cheaply for a second straight match, but Connolly and Allen went about dismantling the Heat from there.
Allen was dropped on four and 44 on the way to his highest BBL score, the New Zealander whacking eight sixes and three fours.
Connolly, who helped guide Perth to a season-opening win over the Sydney Sixers, smacked six sixes and six fours against the Heat for his second consecutive half-century.
“Are we playing cricket or baseball here?” former Test star Mike Hussey exclaimed on commentary as Connolly and Allen unleashed an awesome display of big hitting.
Allen heaped praise on Connolly, who was picked up by the Ricky Ponting-coached Punjab Kings in the IPL auction this week.
“The way Cooper came out, he shifted momentum for us and we carried that on,” Allen said.
“He just came out and did what Cooper does.”
Marsh was also left stunned by the big-hitting display from Connolly and Allen.
“I don’t really have words for it to be honest. It was amazing hitting,” Marsh said.
To add insult to injury for Brisbane, captain Nathan McSweeney suffered an ankle issue in the 19th over while dropping a skied catch.
McSweeney collapsed awkwardly over his left ankle while dropping a skied shot from Nick Hobson (26 off 11) and limped off the field gingerly straight afterwards.
A few balls later, Colin Munro copped the ball flush on his left knee during an unsuccessful dive for a catch.
Brisbane’s bowling figures made for ugly reading.
Shaheen Afridi, who was banished from the attack against the Melbourne Renegades after bowling two beamers in an over, finished with 1-49 against the Scorchers.
Spinner Matt Kuhnemann copped the most punishment on the way to 1-60, while paceman Liam Haskett (1-52) was also left in a world of pain.
Xavier Bartlett was his team’s best with 2-44.
