It was “the perfect T20 hundred”.
Perth Scorchers opener Finn Allen powered his side towards a home final with a breathtaking century against the Melbourne Renegades on Thursday night.
Allen hit 101 off 53 balls, steering the six-stacking Scorchers to 7-219 in the first innings at Marvel Stadium.
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The New Zealander was calculated at first before accelerating from 50 to 100 in just 17 deliveries.
The innings – punctuated by five fours and eight sixes – prompted the highest praise from former England captain Michael Vaughan.
“That’s the perfect T20 hundred,” Vaughan told the Fox Cricket broadcast.
While none of the Scorchers batters joined Allen in scoring above 22, each of the top six cleared the fence at least once.
History was in favour of the Renegades, with 11 of the previous 12 results at the venue going the way of the side batting second.
And it looked like repeating itself when Jake Fraser-McGurk got the Renegades off to a flying start.
Fraser-McGurk raced to 42 off 17 balls with two fours and five sixes but held out in the deep off the bowling of Luke Holt.
Allen brings up brilliant Scorchers Ton | 00:47
Tim Seifert (66 off 43) was a shining light but his lack of partners led to the Renegades falling 50 runs short.
The Scorchers’ win has now set up a mouthwatering clash with the Melbourne Stars on Saturday night.
CONCERN FOR DIXON
Harry Dixon was forced to retire hurt after he was struck in the neck region by a bouncer during the second innings.
Dixon, facing Under-19 World Cup teammate Mahli Beardman (2-30 off four), missed a short ball and it snuck up under the grill into a worrying area.
The rising star was visibly shaken by the knock and there was an immediate mark. He was guided off the ground by the medical staff.
A Renegades spokesperson said initial signs for Dixon were positive but he was still sent to hospital for precautionary assessment.
AIR ALLEN
They just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger.
Finn Allen hammered Gurinder Sandhu for three consecutive sixes in the 11th over – the first of the power surge – and each one topped the one before.
Allen half hit the first, with one hand on the bat, just over the square leg rope.
The second one cleared the boundary with greater ease but it seemingly came off the toe of Allen’s bat.
Allen checked his bat to ensure it wasn’t in need of repairs but it told the story of its health the very next ball by sending the Kookaburra into Marvel Stadium’s second tier.
The Scorchers recorded 34 runs off the first nine balls of the surge before Cooper Connolly was caught in the off side.
Wild power surge for the Scorchers | 04:31