BBL Season 12 (2022-23): Perth Scorchers Win Record Fifth Title With Ashton Turner's Match-Winning 53*

Perth Scorchers won their record fifth Big Bash League title on 4 February 2023, defeating Brisbane Heat by 5 wickets in the BBL Season 12 final at Optus Stadium in Perth. Heat posted 176 from their innings; Scorchers chased it down reaching 178/5 with Ashton Turner's unbeaten 53 off 32 balls as the match-defining contribution. A crowd of 53,886 attended — a record for an Optus Stadium cricket match at the time. The victory extended Perth Scorchers' status as the most successful franchise in BBL history with their fifth championship.

Ashton Turner: 53* Off 32, Player of the Match

Ashton Turner's Player of the Match innings in the BBL Season 12 final exemplified his value as a T20 middle-order finisher. His 53* off 32 balls came at a strike rate of 165.6 at the point in the chase where the equation needed resolving: runs required, wickets in hand, and the pressure of a home final with 53,886 watching. Turner — the Perth Scorchers captain and a Western Australia middle-order batter — has built his BBL reputation on exactly this role: absorbing a partnership, then accelerating to finish the match when the target is within reach. His unbeaten innings in the Season 12 final was a textbook example of T20 finisher skills.

Sean Abbott: 29 Wickets, the Season's Dominant Bowler

Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) was the dominant bowler of BBL Season 12 with 29 wickets — a remarkable total in a 14-game regular season. Abbott, the New South Wales right-arm fast-medium bowler, used his ability to swing the ball at pace and mix it with back-of-a-length cutters to take wickets across all phases of T20 innings. His 29 wickets made him one of the most prolific single-season wicket-takers in BBL history. Despite Sixers not winning the title, Abbott's individual haul is the standout bowling performance of the season.

Aaron Hardie: 460 Runs, Season's Top Scorer

Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers) finished BBL Season 12 as the top run-scorer with 460 runs — an achievement made more significant by the fact he was batting in the middle order rather than as an opener. Hardie, a Western Australia all-rounder, has become one of Perth Scorchers' most important dual-purpose players: reliable batting from positions 4-6 combined with useful medium-pace bowling at the death. His 460-run season across the competition was part of an all-round campaign that helped Scorchers build their winning depth — batting contributions from six different Scorchers across the season gave them flexibility that Brisbane Heat, despite reaching the final, could not match.