Big Bash finals: The best of the best

CIARAN McCARTHY takes a look through BBL history at some of the standout finals, ahead of the 2022 encounter between Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers

BBL 04: Heartbreak for Brett Lee. 

Undoubtedly the tightest and most tense finish to a Big Bash final in the competition's history. Brett Lee came agonisingly close to finishing his career off in the most spectacular fashion, only for a misfield to hand the BBL 04 title to Perth Scorchers.

The Scorchers were set 147 by Sydney Sixers, and their own batting effort left them needing eight runs from the final over, which was to be Lee’s last in professional cricket.

The first half of the over went in the Scorchers’ favour, as they produced seven runs, leaving Lee the near impossible task of defending one run from three deliveries. Ever one for theatrics, Lee bowled two perfect deliveries from the fourth and fifth, as he bowled Nathan Coulter-Nile with a perfect yorker, and then took Sam Whiteman’s off stump.

Lee’s heroic effort in an attempt to go out in a blaze of glory left the Scorchers needing one run from the final delivery, and there was to be no fairytale ending in the paceman’s career. His final delivery was struck to midwicket, and despite new batter Yasir Arafat being well short of his ground, Moises Henriques fumbled at the non-striker's end, and with it, the chance of a super over.

^{Heartbreak for Lee (Matt King/Getty Images)}

BBL 10: James Vince’s commanding 95

James Vince hit a stunning knock on the way to the Sixers’ second successive BBL title win, and their record-equalling third win in the competition.

English imports have done well throughout the history of the BBL, and Vince etched his name in BBL history with a mesmerising knock to swing the fame iin the Sixers’ favour.

The Hampshire batter and his opening partner - player of the tournament Josh Philippe - were in scintillating form for the entire season, the pair amassing over 1,000 runs between them.

When Philippe was dismissed for just nine, Vince put the Sixers on his shoulders, as he smashed his way to 95 from 60 deliveries. Though he fell agonisingly short of a ton for the second time in the competition, his knock swung the game massively in the Sixers’ favour, leading them to a total of 188 from 20 overs.

The Englishman also played a vital role in the field, taking two catches to dismiss Cameron Bancroft and Mitchell Marsh, two of the most influential players on the Scorchers side, and was appropriately awarded player of the match for the final.

BBL 07: Jake Weatherald’s monster hundred.

Jake Weatherald hit a monster ton as the Adelaide Strikers dominated the BBL 07 final.

Weatherald only debuted in the BBL the season prior, but he began in tremendous fashion in his first game, hitting an impressive half-century.

A year later, the opening batsman put in one of the very best performances in the history of the Big Bash, when he hit a monster 115 runs from 70 balls. That knock, alongside support from skipper Travis Head - who hit 44 from 29 - helped Adelaide to a mammoth total of 202, the highest team total in a BBL final to date. 

Weatherald's knock currently sits seventh on the list of all-time highest individual Big Bash totals, and he picked a great time to produce it, as his total helped put the Strikers' total absolutely out of reach for the Hobart Hurricanes, who fell 25 runs short at the end of the game.

BBL 06: Dominance by the Perth Scorchers. 

Perth Scorchers dominated with both bat and ball to cap off the tournament with a resounding finals victory.

Sydney Sixers limped to 141 for 9 from 20 overs in the BBL 06 final, the Scorchers bowling performance massively restricted the batters chances of getting settled at the crease. 

The strike bowlers did their jobs to perfection, with 3-fors from Player of the Match Jhye Richardson and Tim Bresnan, as well as Mitchell Johnson going for just 13 runs from his 4 overs, at an economy of 3.25. Only Brad Haddin (38 from 25) and Johan Botha (32 from 25) were able to get in any sort of rhythm with the bat. 

Only three Scorchers batters were required to knock off the Sixers' total: Sam Whiteman, Michael Klinger and Ian Bell. The opening partnership between Whiteman and Klinger consisted of 75, before Ian Bell strode to the crease and hit a steady 31 from 25 deliveries to polish the game off inside 16 overs, in one of the most dominant finals performances in BBL history.

^{Another title for the Scorchers (Paul Kane/Getty Images)}

BBL 08: Stars collapse to hand Renegades the title.

Melbourne Renegades started off slowly in the BBL 08 final, but a devastating collapse meant Melbourne Stars snatched defeat from the claws of victory.

The Stars won the toss and put the Renegades in to bat, which initially reaped rewards, as the Renegades slipped to 65 for 5. Skipper Aaron Finch was fuming when he was run out at the non-striker's end off the right boot of Jackson Bird, while Bird and Adam Zampa also claimed the scalps of Marcus Harris, Sam Harper, Cameron White and Mackenzie Harvey, in what looked a devastating batting downfall.

Dan Christian and Tom Cooper were then able to rebuild, as they bludgeoned the ball to all parts - with the pick of the shots being a Cooper six off Dwayne Bravo over midwicket - as the pair finished with 81 runs between them, and recovered to a team total of 145 for 5.

An opening partnership of 93 between Ben Dunk and Marcus Stoinis put the Stars in a commanding position, and when Stoinis was dismissed for 39 the Stars needed just 53 runs from 43 balls. But, that wicket was the catalyst for a downfall of enormous proportions, as some poor shot selection from the Stars led to them losing another six wickets for just 39 runs, and they gifted the Renegades a 13-run victory, along with their first and only Big Bash title to date.

^{Glenn Maxwell reflects on the Stars' near-miss (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)}