WBBL 2025: Perth Scorchers confident they will take momentum into grand final against Hobart Hurricanes

Perth Scorchers will come into Saturday’s WBBL grand final against Hobart Hurricanes shaping as the underdogs — but they are confident they will have momentum on their side. The Scorchers locked in their place for the decider by notching an 11-run win over the star-studded Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval on Thursday, which came after they won their first final against Melbourne Stars on Tuesday by 28 runs. Meanwhile, the ladder-leading Hurricanes have not been in action since last Friday, having secured both hosting rights and direct passage to the grand final by finishing atop the table. Hobart’s batters have not had a competitive hit-out since December 1 due to their final game of the regular season against Adelaide Strikers being sensationally abandoned at the innings break after a ball was rolled into the pitch, creating a divot which saw the umpires deem the surface unfit for play. After their win over the Strikers, Scorchers spinner Lilly Mills told The West Australian her side would draw great confidence from their recent form, which has seen them win six of their last seven games. “It’s been nice to be able to grab some momentum at the back-end of the season,” she said. “We’ve got some nice momentum, but we all know it’s nil-all come Saturday night. Hopefully, we come away with the victory.” Finishing third left Perth with the task of needing to win three games inside six days across three different cities to claim their second WBBL title, but star batter Beth Mooney said the condensed schedule had held no fears for the group. “I think we’re pretty used to it, coming from the west. The Sydney and Melbourne teams might’ve struggled with the same travel schedule as us,” Mooney said. “It’s part of the game. What I’ve really enjoyed about our group (is) not one single person has complained about having to do that, they’ve taken it in their stride. There’s a real calmness in the group. “That comes from the leadership. Kade Harvey’s been on the road with us, the (high performance) manager, he’s been amazing, (coach) Becky Grundy and (captain) Soph Devine are very composed and calm as well.” The Scorchers have powered into a place in the final on the back of the brilliance of Mooney, who backed up her 45 against the Stars with a knock of 76 from 44 deliveries, which proved the difference against the Sixers. The Australian star is now the season’s leading run-scorer with 516 through 12 games and was named in the competition’s official team of the tournament for a record-breaking 10th time yesterday. Mills said no one involved with the Scorchers was surprised to see Mooney take her game to a new level when it mattered most. “She’s world-class, isn’t she? She just proves time and time again that consistency is so rewarded,” she said. “I’m sure she’s as proud as anyone to pull on the orange as any of us. I love watching her.” Mooney said there were no secrets behind her sustained success in the competition. “I think I’m pretty lucky I get to open the batting and face a lot of balls,” Mooney said. “I can’t take too much credit; I’ve certainly had a lot of help along the way. A lot of conversations with different coaches, a lot of people throwing me balls. “I’ve got a pretty simple game, I like to hit at training, I don’t like to hit before a game, so I’ve stuck at that method, and it seems to be working.”