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AAP
AAP
Sport
Rob Forsaith

Perth cruise past Heat, into BBL SCG final

The Perth Scorchers are through to the BBL grand final after an emphatic win over the Brisbane Heat. (AAP)

Big Bash League powerhouses Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers will meet in Saturday night's SCG final after Liam Livingstone lit up a lopsided semi-final at Manuka Oval.

The Scorchers and Sixers have dominated the BBL since clashing in its inaugural final, grabbing a combined five of nine possible titles.

This weekend will mark the fourth season-deciding final between the rivals.

The Scorchers, having suffered a humbling nine-wicket loss to the Sixers in their qualifying final, crushed Brisbane Heat by 49 runs in Thursday night's rain-affected contest.

Livingstone whacked 77 off 39 deliveries, helping rocket Perth to 1-189 from 18.1 overs in Canberra.

Showers halted play and prompted a premature end to the innings, setting Brisbane a revised target of of 200 from 18 overs.

It was an imposing equation, even before captain Chris Lynn departed in the fourth over.

It looked near-impossible come the eighth over, when the Heat crashed to 4-57 following Marnus Labuschagne's dismissal to veteran legspinner Fawad Ahmed.

The required run-rate exploded as the Scorchers turned the screws, restricting Brisbane to 9-150.

The Perth Scorchers are well placed to make the BBL final, setting Brisbane 200 to win in Canberra. (AAP)

Jason Behrendorff, who snared 2-19 and was on a hat-trick after removing Lynn and Joe Denly, set the tone for Perth's star-studded attack.

Livingstone's match-winning knock was followed by an unbeaten 75-run partnership between Mitch Marsh (49 not out) and Cameron Bancroft (58 not out).

Jason Roy's ankle injury, suffered during a soccer warm-up game, meant former Test opener Bancroft was recalled for his first BBL game since January 19.

The pressure was on Livingstone to start with a bang, especially with fellow Englishman Roy an enforced omission.

Livingstone didn't disappoint, smashing six sixes as he brought up a half-century in just 27 balls.

"It is about time I scored some runs for the boys. I actually did a little bit of research this morning about what I did really well last year," Livingstone told the Seven Network.

"I wasn't going out there with too much confidence, which isn't the greatest thing as a batter , so tried to rejog my memory."

Mitchell Swepson, whose figures of 1-26 made him the Heat's most economical bowler by some margin, ended Livingstone's entertaining knock in the 12th over.

Test batsman Labuschagne, whose legspin was a key part of the Heat's preceding two elimination-final victories, copped the brunt of Livingstone's onslaught.

Labuschagne's second over cost 27 runs, including two wides and three sixes.

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