Aaron Hardie, the Scorchers’ young gun, went from incredible to terrible in the Qualifier final against the Sydney Sixers, leaving cricket commentators stunned.
Hardie had the Perth Stadium crowd on their feet when he leapt high and reeled in a one-handed screamer.
In the third over, Hardie was Perth’s hero, taking a ripping one-handed catch at mid-on to dismiss Kurtis Patterson and leave the Sixers struggling at 2-16.
Aaron Hardie takes a stunner:
WHAT. A. CATCH. 🤯
Aaron Hardie, take a bow!
📺 WATCH #BBL12 on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports https://t.co/f2as0D7oW0
✍ BLOG https://t.co/6WloLmkKGr
📲 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/BqNmDCiS89 pic.twitter.com/LDuUEJjIwm— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) January 28, 2023
However, his brilliance on the field was quickly tainted when he missed a simple chance when danger man Steve Smith was on 12 seconds later.
The Hardie drop stunned Gilchrist to the point where his jaw dropped in the commentary box.
“How big a play is that!’ Fox Cricket’s Adam Gilchrist said. “That’s an absolute sitter,” he added.
"Hardie has done the incredible and then he's done the terrible."
Huge drop from Aaron Hardie…
📺 WATCH #BBL12 on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports https://t.co/f2as0D7oW0
✍ BLOG https://t.co/6WloLmkKGr
📲 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/BqNmDCiS89 pic.twitter.com/UuubrCpmxY— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) January 28, 2023
The Perth Scorchers beat the Sydney Sixers by seven wickets on Saturday, advancing directly to the Big Bash League (BBL) final despite an in-form Steve Smith.
The four-time champions held the Sixers to 151-8 before answering with 154-3 in 18.3 overs. Ashton Turner led from the front with a commanding 84 not out from 47 balls.
Turner and opener Cameron Bancroft then partnered wisely in the middle overs, frequently working singles and looking for boundaries.
They did, however, take some risks, and Bancroft (53 not out) survived one strange scare when he skied a ball that neither the keeper nor the point fielder chased, both expecting the other to move into position.
Turner accelerated towards the finish line, bludgeoning nine fours and a six as he scripted a victory that delighted the 41,116-strong crowd. To play in the Feb. 4 decider, the Sydney Sixers must win a knockout final on Thursday against either the Brisbane Heat or the Melbourne Renegades.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.