Regarding scenes unfolded on the Optus Stadium on Tuesday afternoon as a hearth ignited exterior the 60,000-seater stadium in the course of the Perth Scorchers 48-run Massive Bash League victory in opposition to the Sydney Sixers.
It appeared that shrubbery located inside the perimeter of the stadium on the Swan River finish had caught fireplace.
A cloud of smoke billowed out from the bushes beneath a concrete walkway subsequent to the stadium, with cops seen arriving subsequent to the fireplace on motorbikes.
Punters gathered on the walkway above and have been seen pouring water onto the shrubbery, in a bid to place out the flames.
The fireplace was ultimately extinguished by emergency providers and it was later confirmed by a stadium spokesperson that the fireplace had been began by a ‘discarded cigarette butt’.
‘Stadium workers promptly extinguished the fireplace earlier than firefighters from the Division of Hearth and Emergency Companies attended to help,’ a spokesperson mentioned.
Regarding scenes unfolded on the Optus Stadium on Tuesday afternoon as a hearth ignited exterior the 60,000-seater stadium
It got here because the Perth Scorchers secured their place within the 2026 Massive Bash League closing with a 48-run win in opposition to the Sydney Sixers
‘The fireplace is believed to have been lit by a discarded cigarette butt.’
The spokesperson added that ‘there was no threat to patron security’.
Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith was unable to galvanise the Sixers to victory, with the Scorchers advancing to safe a house BBL Grand Last following the win.
Star Kiwi opener Finn Allen (49 off 30 deliveries) fell simply wanting a half-century because the Scorchers have been restricted to 9-147 in what at first appeared an underwhelming batting show in Tuesday evening’s match.
In reply, the Sixers slumped to 5-64 as their prime order floundered, however they nonetheless had an honest shot of pulling off the win whereas Smith was on the crease.
The star veteran was coming off scores of 54 and 100 and regarded harmful in shifting to 37.
However when Smith departed within the eleventh over after skying Mahli Beardman (3-20) to the high quality leg boundary, Sydney’s victory hopes nosedived.
The Sixers’ disastrous plight was summed up when Sean Abbott was run out after his sliding bat dug into the bottom, inflicting him to drop the bat and journey up – with replays exhibiting he had did not get a foot behind the road when the bails have been taken off.
Star Kiwi opener Finn Allen (pictured) fell simply wanting a half-century because the Scorchers have been restricted to 9-147
In reply, the Sixers slumped to 5-64 as their prime order floundered, however they nonetheless had an honest shot of pulling off the win whereas Smith (second from proper) was on the crease. He would later be dismissed for 37 runs
The guests have been skittled for 99 in simply 15 overs in entrance of 31,781 followers.
The Scorchers will now host Sunday’s BBL decider, with the Sixers thrust right into a must-win ‘Challenger’ match on Friday in opposition to the winner of Wednesday evening’s ‘knockout’ battle between Hobart and Melbourne Stars.
‘Possibly the event received to us chasing,’ Sixers captain Moises Henriques mentioned.
‘We have been making an attempt to probably win the sport too shortly. It felt like that, particularly for our prime order batters, myself included.
‘We did not actually must do something too ridiculous, however I felt like we stored inviting the Scorchers into the sport with a few of the resolution making, significantly early on within the innings.’
The match began so effectively for Sydney, with grasp blaster Allen and a few Optus Stadium shrubbery have been the one issues that caught fireplace throughout a hit-and-miss Scorchers innings.
Allen blasted 4 sixes and two fours on the way in which to his 49 off 30 balls.
The Scorchers have been effectively positioned at 1-67 within the eighth over, however when Allen chopped Ben Dwarshuis onto his stumps, it fully halted Perth’s momentum.
The Sixers’ hopes of creating the ultimate are nonetheless alive, with Mitchell Starc’s (pictured) aspect set to play in a must-win ‘Challenger’ match on Friday in opposition to the winner of Wednesday evening’s ‘knockout’ battle between Hobart and Melbourne Stars
Josh Inglis (2), Cooper Connolly (8) and Laurie Evans (5) fell cheaply because the Scorchers crashed to 6-101 within the fifteenth over.
The Scorchers’ innings fizzled in related style to the sooner fireplace, with Ashton Turner (29 off 21) and Jhye Richardson (20 off 18) by no means in a position to fairly slip the leash throughout their 44-run stand.
Dwarshuis (2-23 off 4 overs) was the Sixers’ greatest bowler, whereas Jack Edwards (2-25), Starc (2-32) and Sean Abbott (0-24) additionally performed essential roles.
When the Sixers batted, first-over Scorchers specialist Connolly struck once more first up, with Babar Azam stumped for a second-ball duck after failing to floor his again foot in time.
Beardman delivered a double blow within the fourth over, with Josh Philippe (13) and Moises Henriques (2) skying him for simple catches.
And when the 20-year-old returned to take the important thing scalp of Smith, the heaving dwelling crowd might odor victory.
‘It was a little bit of a pinch me second,’ Beardman mentioned of sending Smith packing.
‘It was onerous to take the emotion out of it.
‘That is somebody that I’ve grown up idolising.’
