BBL 2025-26: Ashton Turner onslaught helps Scorchers register thumping win over Thunder

The Sydney Thunder hosted the Perth Scorchers in Match 16 of the Big Bash League 2025-26 at the Sydney Showground Stadium on Tuesday, December 30. The home team won the toss and elected to field first.

The Thunder bowlers were incisive earlier on as they did not let the Scorchers openers cut loose. The first two overs yielded six runs only and the batters felt the need to score faster now. The plan seemed to work as the first ball of the third over was deposited for six by Mitchell Marsh (6 off 7) but the bowler Nathan Andrew took his revenge immediately off the next ball. 

It was a repeat at the start of the next over - six and out - this time Finn Allen (11 off 9) being the victim of Reece Topley. The Scorchers were 20/2 at the end of the four-over powerplay as the innings needed a boost. But it was not going to be so as the Thunder struck again in the form of Josh Inglis (13 off 9). 34/3 in 5.3 overs and the innings looked like it was not going anywhere.

Out came skipper Ashton Turner to join Cooper Connolly and what happened next was more than memorable. The duo showed intent and the partnership developed steadily. But the ninth over by Chris Green shifted the momentum completely towards the Scorchers courtesy of a 22-run mayhem. Connolly provided able support from the other end as Turner looked to continue on his merry ways.

The 76-run partnership off 41 balls came to an end with Connolly's wicket (28 off 27). Laurie Evans (10 off 7) joined Turner but he could not do much. The team from the west coast needed another partnership and they did. Turner, who reached his half century in 22 balls, found a parter-in-crime in Aaron Hardie. The pair went hammer and tongs after the 16th over. Despite Hardie losing his wicket towards the end Turner continued to punish the Thunder bowlers.

The Perth team scored 65 runs from the last four overs as Turner (99* off 41) missed out on a much-deserved century. His innings comprised eight fours and sixes each as the visitors reached 202/8 in 20 overs.

The Thunder openers, captain David Warner and Matthew Gilkes, began the pursuit of 203 with caution and aggression. At 20/0 after three overs, the innings needed a lift. The pair scored 16 runs off Joel Paris' over and a 13-run over later off Connolly brought the innings back on track.

But, unfortunately for the Thunder, that was the only high point for them. Warner (25 off 21) and Gilkes (33 off 19) fell in quick succession with Cameron Bancroft (2 off 4) and Sam Billings (0 off 1) failing big time. The Thunder found themselves at 81/4 at the halfway mark and it seemed an uphill task from here on.

The mercurial Sam Konstas, like in the previous match, was unable to get away as his innings progressed at a slow pace. The right-hander came in at number 3 and was at the crease for a long time, seeing many of his team-mates come and go for low scores. By the time the 20-year-old fell for 21 runs off 19 balls, the game was well and truly beyond the Thunder's grasp. The innings folded for 131 in 17.3 overs as the visitors won by a huge margin of 71 runs.