Big Bash League: Finn Allen’s hundred powers Perth Scorchers into strong position against Melbourne Renegades

Finn Allen’s first BBL hundred has powered Perth Scorchers into a dominant position at the halfway mark of their critical clash with Melbourne Renegades. The New Zealander’s two seasons with the club have been littered with tantalising cameos at the top of the order but he was at last able to kick on from a strong start, smashing a magnificent 101 from just 53 balls which featured eight sixes to lead the Scorchers to an imposing total of 7-219. Remarkably, Allen’s efforts ensured his side have posted a total greater than 200 in each of their five games away from Optus Stadium this season. A win against the Renegades would make a certainty of Perth’s place in the top four and significantly bolster their hopes of finishing atop the table, which would grant them hosting rights for the Qualifier. After losing the toss and being made to bat, the Scorchers’ opening pair of Allen and Mitch Marsh only managed to take 12 runs from the first two overs — but the scoreboard still read 0-41 at the conclusion of the four-over powerplay. The New Zealander blocked out the game’s first four deliveries from Hassan Khan but got his innings going by rocking back and smashing the USA spinner’s fifth ball over the mid-wicket boundary. Marsh made a circumspect start of his own but broke the shackles by depositing Gurinder Sandhu into the crowd, which Allen promptly followed up on as part of an 18-run third-over blitz. A 64-run opening stand ended when Marsh heaved a Sam Elliott slower ball to Sandhu at fine leg to depart for 20 from 15 balls but Allen did not slow down, bringing up his half-century in the ninth over and cracking Australia white-ball star Adam Zampa into the crowd in the following over. Perth took the power surge immediately after the mid-innings drinks break and Allen made his intentions clear by clubbing Sandhu’s first three deliveries after the resumption for sixes, the last of which travelled only millimetres from Marvel Stadium’s roof before settling in the second tier. Will Sutherland brought himself on from the other end to try and stem the flow of runs but Cooper Connolly (18 from 12 balls) did not let the Renegades captain settle, promptly taking 14 runs from the first three balls of the 11th over before drilling a catch to Khan at point. As his milestone approached, Allen did not slow down, taking Khan’s third over for 20 to race from 77 to 97 in a flash. He was made to endure something of a nervous wait as Aaron Hardie took much of the strike in a brisk 22 from 11 balls before bringing up three figures by running a brisk two which was at odds with the rest of his boundary-laden knock. After captain Ashton Turner (13 from five balls) maintained the Scorchers’ momentum in a brief stay at the crease, Allen was made to pay for the first ball he had mishit all night with his wicket, which Zampa claimed courtesy of a Jake Fraser-McGurk catch at long-on. But Allen’s fellow import Laurie Evans (21 from 11 balls) ensured no momentum was lost at the back end of the innings before second-gamer Luke Holt got in on the fun in the final over by smashing Perth’s 16th six of the contest.