Ashton Turner’s Unlucky 99 Sparks Perth’s Big Bash Revival
Let me walk you through what turned out to be one of the most dramatic nights of the Big Bash season, because this game really belonged to Ashton Turner, even though the scoreboard never quite gave him the milestone his innings deserved.
The Perth Scorchers arrived at ENGIE Stadium knowing their season was wobbling. With just one win from their opening matches, another loss would have marked their worst start in five years. Early on, things didn’t look great either. Perth were 3 for 34 inside the powerplay, pressure was building, and Sydney Thunder sensed a chance to dominate at home. That’s when Ashton Turner walked in and quietly began flipping the script.
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What followed was one of those innings you could feel changing momentum ball by ball. Turner started patiently, making sure the collapse stopped first. Once he settled, the acceleration was brutal. Boundaries were launched into the night, especially against spin, and suddenly the Thunder bowlers were being forced to defend instead of attack. Eight sixes came off his bat, most of them clean, confident strikes that reminded everyone why he’s been such a big-game player for Perth.
By the final over, the crowd knew something special was happening. Turner was sitting on 86, eyeing what would have been his maiden Big Bash century and one of the fastest in league history. Two towering sixes pushed him to 98, then a single took him to 99. It felt inevitable. But cricket has a cruel sense of timing. A boundary off the next ball went to his batting partner, and Turner was stranded at the non-striker’s end. The over ended, the innings closed, and Ashton Turner joined the rare and unlucky club of players left unbeaten on 99 in Big Bash history.
Still, the damage had been done. Perth posted a commanding 202, and that total always looked more than enough. Sydney Thunder came out swinging, with David Warner and Matthew Gilkes racing to 60 without loss. For a brief moment, the chase felt alive. But once Warner was caught in the deep and Gilkes was run out soon after, the momentum vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
Perth’s bowlers then took control, wickets were taken regularly, and the Thunder were bowled out for 131 in the 18th over. The Scorchers sealed a dominant 71-run win, climbing back into the top four and breathing life into their campaign.
Turner later joked that after recent low scores, even reaching 20 felt like progress. But everyone watching knew this innings meant far more. It wasn’t just an unlucky 99. It was the knock that may have turned Perth’s season around.
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