Peake's last-ball six ends Scorchers' three-win streak

Oliver Peake produced a moment of magic, launching Aaron Hardie over fine leg for a six off the final ball to seal a stunning four-wicket victory for Melbourne Renegades and break Perth Scorchers' three-match winning streak at their fortress. With four needed off the last delivery, the 19-year-old stepped away from his stumps and executed a perfectly timed scoop that sailed over the boundary, capping a nerveless unbeaten 42 off 30 balls that should become part of BBL folklore.

The foundation for this thrilling heist was laid by Gurinder Sandhu's sensational spell of 4 for 28, his career-best BBL figures. After Will Sutherland won the toss and inserted the hosts, the Renegades' bowling attack never allowed Perth to settle on a two-paced surface offering assistance to the seamers. Perth's innings spluttered from the outset, managing just 22/1 in the powerplay as the bowlers exploited the sluggish conditions brilliantly.

Jason Behrendorff, returning to his former home ground, struck an early psychological blow when he cleaned up Cooper Connolly with a ball that nipped back sharply to uproot middle stump. Mitchell Marsh attempted to inject some momentum with two sixes in consecutive overs, but his uncharacteristic knock of 27 off 25 balls ended when Hassan Khan trapped him LBW. The left-arm spinner finished with impressive figures of 2 for 26, while Behrendorff was miserly with 1 for 11 from his three overs.

Aaron Hardie staged a lone resistance in the middle order, top-scoring with a patient 44 off 40 balls as wickets tumbled around him. With Perth at 111/5 after 16 overs, a competitive total still seemed within reach, but Sandhu returned to trigger a collapse that saw the last five wickets for just 16 runs. He ripped through the tail with three wickets in four balls in the penultimate over, including the prized scalps of Hardie as the Scorchers folded for 127 with four balls to spare.

Chasing 128, the Renegades' start promised much when Josh Brown struck a breezy 22 off 14 balls, but his dismissal to Joel Paris initiated a middle-order wobble that threatened to derail the chase. Paris bowled a superb spell of 1 for 7 from two overs, keeping things tight when Perth needed wickets. Tim Seifert was run out after a terrible mix-up, and Mohammad Rizwan struggled for timing in his labored 21 off 25 balls. When Cooper Connolly, Ashton Turner and Jhye Richardson struck in quick succession to reduce the visitors to 72/5, the modest target of 128 suddenly looked daunting on a surface that refused to come onto the bat.

Enter Peake and captain Sutherland to steady the ship. The pair constructed a crucial 42-run stand for the sixth wicket, mixing caution with calculated aggression to wrestle back momentum. Sutherland's 15 may not have been fluent, but it absorbed pressure at the crucial juncture, bringing the equation down to 14 off the last nine balls when he departed in the penultimate over.

With tension at fever pitch and just Sam Elliott for company, Peake remained ice-cool under pressure. Hardie, who had been Perth's best bowler on the night, held his nerve to bowl five dots and concede just a single through the first five balls of the final over. But with four required off the final delivery, Peake manufactured the shot of the match, moving away from his stumps to execute the audacious scoop that sealed a famous victory.

Brief Scores: Perth Scorchers 127 in 19.2 overs (Aaron Hardie 44, Mitchell Marsh 27; Gurinder Sandhu 4-28, Hassan Khan 2-26) lost to Melbourne Renegades 130/6 in 20 overs (Oliver Peake 42*, Josh Brown 22; Joel Paris 1-7) by 4 wickets.