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Scorchers book Big Bash finals place

Shayne HopeAAP
Jhye Richardson starred with bat and ball as the Perth Scorchers booked a BBL finals berth.
Camera IconJhye Richardson starred with bat and ball as the Perth Scorchers booked a BBL finals berth.

In-form Jhye Richardson shone with bat and ball as Perth Scorchers locked in a Big Bash League finals spot with an important 22-run win over Hobart Hurricanes.

The competition's leading wicket-taker this season, Richardson claimed Test player Matthew Wade's wicket in the first over of the Hurricanes' run-chase.

The right-arm quick then removed dangerous batsmen Ben McDermott (0) and Peter Handscomb (30 off 16) on his way to 4-33 from four overs, and also had a hand in Darcy Short's (43 off 37) dismissal with a straightforward catch.

Earlier, Richardson smacked five boundaries in a quickfire 29 off 14 to help Josh Inglis (58 off 35) guide the Scorchers to 8-179 despite the regular fall of wickets.

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In reply, Hobart could only muster 8-157, with Richardson removing powerful former teammate Tim David (27 off 19) to effectively end the chase.

The win puts the second-placed Scorchers four points clear of the chasing pack on a congested table with only a handful of matches left to play before the finals.

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"The goal at the start of every season is to make the finals, so to get the win tonight is really important for the group," Richardson said.

"We spoke earlier in the tournament about having momentum in the back end and it looks like we've got a bit of that now, so hopefully we can keep that going."

Hobart captain Wade (six) returned to the BBL from Test duty, but a minor knee complaint meant he handed wicketkeeping duties to McDermott.

Neither of them had the desired impact with the bat as Richardson and Jason Behrendorff (2-17) helped ensure a steady fall of wickets.

Scorchers allrounder Mitch Marsh returned from a side strain and sneaked past older brother Shaun Marsh as the highest run-scorer in Scorchers history.

But he managed just two scoring shots in his seven from nine balls and did not bowl.

Nathan Ellis (4-34) and Sandeep Lamichhane (2-27) were the pick of the Hurricanes' bowlers as they reduced the Scorchers to 5-108 before Inglis and Richardson took hold.

"We were a bit sloppy with the ball and probably leaked maybe 15 or 20 (runs) too many, and then with the bat we didn't really get it done," Wade said.

Perth take on finals hopefuls Melbourne Stars on Saturday, while Hobart take on the league-leading Sydney Sixers on Sunday.

Australia's Test captain Tim Paine could return for the Hurricanes in what would be his first T20 match since 2018, after he rejoined the squad but was overlooked for the Scorchers clash.

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