BBL final teams: Perth Scorchers go unchanged as injury-hit Sydney Sixers make mass changes to top order

Perth Scorchers have gone with an unchanged XI for their seventh Big Bash League final appearance as they hunt a record fourth title against the injury-hit Sydney Sixers at Marvel Stadium.

As forecast by captain Ashton Turner on the eve of the match, Mitch Marsh is good to go after recovering from a left hamstring issue sustained in last week’s win over the Sixers.

Marsh’s bowling is in doubt but with four player-of-the-match performances this season alone, will play a massive role with the bat.

The Sixers made mass changes to their top order with Jordan Silk (hamstring) sidelined due to an injury in Thursday’s last-ball thriller against Adelaide, with fellow batters Justin Avendano and Jake Carder dropped.

Nick Bertus comes into the side and will open the batting alongside the hero in Thursday’s win, Hayden Kerr, with Dan Hughes (ankle) passing a pre-game fitness test to take his place at first drop.

Ex-Test seamer Jackson Bird also earned a promotion to the XI.

Sixers captain Moises Henriques won the toss and elected to field first, despite the Scorchers having a lot of success batting this tournament.

Henriques and veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe were both declared fit to play after calf injuries in the Sixers’ last match.

Earlier in the day, the two-time reigning BBL champions’ bid to get superstar Steve Smith into the squad was knocked back by Cricket Australia.

Assistant coach Jay Lenton, who came in for COVID-hit WA ‘keeper-batter Josh Philippe, will take the gloves for the second game in a row.

Allrounder Aaron Hardie, fresh off re-signing for two years, and seamer Matt Kelly are the Scorchers’ X-Factor substitutes, likewise with Avendano and leg-spinner Lloyd Pope for the Sixers.

The match will be Perth skipper Ashton Turner’s 100th BBL appearance.