Red-hot Scorchers topple the Sixers

The score: Perth Scorchers 4-170 (Michael Klinger 83, Ashton Turner 45; Daniel Sams 2-25) defeated Sydney Sixers 4-167 (Jordan Silk 45, Sam Billings 33; David Willey 2-30) with five balls to spare

Match in a tweet: Perth stay perfect in BBL|07 as Michael Klinger crunches a magnificent 83 to spearhead the defending champions' latest win. #BBL07

The hero: Michael Klinger is the leading run-scorer since the inception of the KFC Big Bash League and he took centre stage again with an impressive 83 to steer his team to victory. The experienced opener was rock solid and hit nine fours and two sixes in his 61-ball innings after starting the tournament with scores of one and 37. The cricket world has rallied around Klinger since news of his beloved wife Cindy's shock breast cancer diagnosis was revealed in December. Klinger missed Perth’s season opener against the Sixers on December 23, but has wasted no time making an impact despite his personal circumstances. Tonight’s knock was Klinger’s 12th BBL half-century and the fact he has over 1729 runs from 54 matches – Aaron Finch is second on 1573 – underlines his class.

The support cast: Ashton Turner is a player of immense potential and he delivered another composed knock of 45 off 32 balls against the Sixers, with the 96-run stand he shared with Klinger proving telling in the wash up after the Scorchers slipped to 2-17. Turner slapped three sixes and backed up the unbeaten 52 he made against the Sixers in his team’s tournament opener.

The consolation effort: The great Ricky Ponting has anointed Jordan Silk as one of the best fieldsmen in the country, but the right-hander is in red-hot form with the bat after being left out of the Sixers’ first two matches of BBL|07. Silk started with an impressive 50 against the Adelaide Strikers on December 28 and backed that up with an unbeaten 45 from 33 balls against Perth’s vaunted bowling line-up.

The debutant: Tim David is yet to make his debut for Western Australia, but he played his first match for the Perth Scorchers tonight after he was called up as a replacement for Ashton Agar, who has been added to Australia’s squad for the fifth Magellan Ashes Test. The great Adam Gilchrist was on hand for the cap presentation and David played a key role in his side’s triumph as well. He finished 17 not out from 10 balls, and executed one of the shots of the night – a straight drive off Daniel Sams for six – in the second-last over of the match.

The turning point: This didn’t come until the last over, in truth, as Sean Abbott gifted the Scorchers five wides on his first delivery before Adam Voges whacked the first legal ball of the over for six to signal an end to proceedings. Perth required 15 from seven balls before David and Voges cleared the rope and Abbott lost his radar. In the end they had five balls to spare.

The drop: The sun proved too much for the Scorchers' James Muirhead, who missed a chance to remove Peter Nevill in the third over of the Sixers’ innings and left Mitchell Johnson seeing red. Muirhead’s sunglasses were also on his head…

The drop II: Described as an “absolute soda at any level” by Channel Ten commentator Gilchrist, Ben Dwarshuis gifted Ashton Turner a life when he was on 41 in the 14th over of Perth’s run chase. It only cost his team four runs, but Dwarshuis won’t want to see the replay.

The injuries: They started before the match had even began, with Sixers opener Daniel Hughes a late withdrawal because of a quad strain sustained in the practice nets before play. It was reported on Channel Ten that Scorchers spinner James Muirhead suffered a hamstring injury in the field, while Steve O’Keefe went down with what looked to be a serious leg injury during Perth’s innings.

The stat: The Scorchers eclipsed their previous best score in a successful run chase at the WACA (161) in toppling the Sixers and moved to four wins from as many starts in BBL|07.

The fantasy wrap: Klinger ($58,900) was the only player to reach three figures, logging 105 points, while David Willey ($81,500) scored 70 and Jordan Silk ($36,100) 69.

The next stops: The Sixers, who are now winless from four starts, will next tackle the Melbourne Renegades at Kardinia Park in Geelong on Wednesday, while the Scorchers will travel to the Gabba to take on the Brisbane Heat on Friday.