Perth Scorchers suffer six-wicket loss to Brisbane Heat at the Gabba

Chris Lynn bashed, Mujeeb Ur Rahman bamboozled and Josh Lalor grabbed a shock hat-trick as the Brisbane Heat put another nail in the Perth Scorchers’ Big Bash coffin at the Gabba tonight.

‘Bash Brother’ Lynn guided his team to a six-wicket win with 15 balls to spare, backing up the bowling heroics of left-arm quick Josh Lalor and mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Mujeeb made it back-to-back match-of-the-match awards against the Scorchers, grabbing 3-16 from four overs.

After just 16 runs in his past four innings, Lynn (56 from 39 balls) returned to form with his third half-century of the tournament, passing Perth veteran Michael Klinger (1917 runs) as the BBL’s all-time leading run-scorer in the process.

He finished the run-chase with a 92m maximum over backward square-leg off Andrew Tye, his fourth six of the night.

It was an evening to forget for Tye, whose figures were ruined by Lynn’s power hitting, going for 34 runs from 2.3 overs.

There’s now a one-and-a-half win gap between the Heat and Scorchers at the foot of the ladder with two games remaining.

In more bad news for Adam Voges’ men, star batsman Shaun Marsh will go for scans on his troublesome hamstrings after reporting soreness while running between wickets.

The 35-year-old, who was dismissed in the second over for just two, didn’t take any part in the field.

There were some positives signs from a pair of rookies, with third-gamer Nick Hobson saving the Scorchers from complete embarrassment after another dismal top-order batting performance.

The hard-hitting left-hander steered Perth to 9-128, top-scoring with a calculated knock of 43 from 35 balls before becoming Lalor’s hat-trick victim.

Debutant all-rounder Clint Hinchliffe also impressed after getting picked ahead of former Test player Hilton Cartwright.

The 22-year-old was the Scorchers’ first left-arm wrist-spinner since cult hero Brad Hogg departed for the Melbourne Renegades in 2016, finishing with an economical 1-21 from four overs including the wicket of big-hitting opener Max Bryant.

He also combined with Hobson for a vital 38-run sixth-wicket stand.

Paceman Matt Kelly (2-27) bowled two brilliant wicket-taking yorkers to catch the eye of former Australian selector Mark Waugh, who labelled him as one to watch for the future.

Lalor (3-23) took the fourth hat-trick in BBL history but didn’t even know, with teammate Alex Ross having to tell him.

In a bizarre twist, his first dismissal was Tye, who has taken two.

He got Tye with the last ball of his second over before grabbing the wickets of Matt Kelly and Hobson to start his third over.

For the fifth time in the tournament, Perth lost their first three wickets for less than 20 runs.

Marsh paired up with returning ‘keeper-batsman Josh Inglis (nine) for the Scorchers’ seventh opening combination in 12 matches in BBL08.

But both openers were gone within three overs.

They could only manage 10 for the first wicket before the limited-overs star hit a poor shot straight to cover in the second over off Mujeeb.

Inglis was given a life next ball but he didn’t last much longer, lofting a drive straight to Ben Cutting at mid-on off debutant Matt Kuhnemann.

Vice-captain Ashton Turner (two) came and went, falling to a brilliant catch in the deep from young gun Max Bryant off Mujeeb.

The Heat opted for spin for the first five overs of the match before Lalor got a bowl, with Cameron Bancroft belting three boundaries off his first over.

Bancroft looked set for a big innings, hitting a 24-ball 32 before becoming Mujeeb’s third victim, getting bowled by a quicker one.