Two sides already well placed for the BBL 2025-26 finals meet at Perth Stadium on Saturday 17 January, when Perth Scorchers play Melbourne Stars in the 39th match.
The Scorchers have won six of nine league games and secured their place in the next round. Finn Allen has been their star with 312 runs in eight matches, including a century in the 50-run win over Melbourne Renegades in which Perth scored 219. Aaron Hardie has been helpful with both bat and ball. The bowling has been vulnerable at times, but Cooper Connolly and Joel Paris lead it with 11 wickets each, and Connolly and Mahli Beardman shared in restricting the Renegades to 169.
The Stars won their first four games and became the first team to reach the playoffs. They beat Adelaide Strikers by six wickets after bowling them out for 83, with Tom Curran taking 4 for 10. Sam Harper has scored 365 runs, and captain Marcus Stoinis has passed 200. Peter Siddle, Curran, Haris Rauf and Stoinis are among the competition’s leading wicket-takers. If the Stars keep that level up, they have a strong chance of a first BBL title.