Big Bash League: How Perth Scorches local stars make the franchise the biggest in the land

They’re the local boys who have gone from the backyards and the nets of Perth to the big stage. And not only are they leading the Perth Scorchers’ push for a record-extending sixth Big Bash League title on Sunday at Optus Stadium, they have emerged as the faces of the country’s most popular cricket franchise. Mahli Beardman and Cooper Connolly are two of what is likely to be seven local players in the Scorchers’ playing 11 for the blockbuster sold-out clash with the Sydney Sixers. Brand Scorchers — the club that broke away from its cookie-cutter rivals when the start-up competition began 15 years ago — is built off the likeability and relatability of its local stars. It’s part of the club’s mission to recruit great cricketers but better people, which former coach Justin Langer coined “character over cover drives”. The Scorchers led the league for attendance this season with an average of 36,268 per home game — more than 6000 ahead of second-placed Brisbane Heat — and have created a commercial juggernaut. The Sunday Times understands Sunday’s final is on track to break Optus Stadium’s cricket attendance record. Capacity has slightly increased for BBL matches since 53,886 fans watched the 2023 final and the first wave of tickets sold out in less than half-an-hour on Wednesday. Agent to the stars and sports public relations guru Max Markson said the long list of local players, including Beardman, Connolly, Mitch Marsh, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis and Jhye Richardson, are crucial to making the Scorchers a powerhouse on and off the field. “They’ve just built and built and built, they are so popular with the public locally. I don’t know if people in Sydney like them that much, but they are just an amazing team,” he told The Sunday Times. “That’s something that locally they look up to and they really admire them and that’s the most important thing for a team that’s a national team but they’re competing on a local basis for their fans. “They’re not international guests and they’re not even from other cities. They’re literally local West Australians. “That’s the magical thing — the fact that they’re local raises their local profile and makes them really important, and you can look up to them. “If you are going to follow cricket or you are going to start playing cricket, you start young and they will be inspirational. That’s really strong.” Beardman is the Scorchers’ rising star this season. The 20-year-old paceman spent time growing up in both the South West and the Pilbara as a junior, but remembers watching the club’s early campaigns from the orange-bathed hill at the WACA Ground. “It’s the dream to play for the Scorchers, it’s been amazing past couple of years,” Beardman said. “Growing up I remember the WACA days and going down to watch the boys — some of the boys I’m playing with now funnily enough — play some incredible cricket there and have some prolonged success. It’s an absolute dream.” The Scorchers have three international players — batters Laurie Evans and Finn Allen and bowler David Payne — in their squad. But even their imports stick around. Allen was signed on a two-year deal, and both the New Zealand opener and coach Adam Voges say they want to extend his stay. Evans was stolen from their grasp by Melbourne Renegades in the controversial international player draft, but after one season, he took a significant pay cut as part of a ploy with the Scorchers to return. Payne played in the Scorchers most recent title — the 2023 Connolly-led triumph over Brisbane — but wasn’t recruited again for the following season and was left waiting by the phone for a chance to come back. The English veteran, who plays in Twenty20 competitions all over the world, said he has never played at a club like Perth. “The Scorchers feel like really part of the city,” he said. “The whole city supports this team. It’s different to England, where cricket is the third, fourth or fifth most-watched sport and here in Perth it’s right up the top of the list when it’s happening. “You go to a cafe and you get noticed a bit more and it’s cool. It just shows the support this place has for its team.”