Marsh sparks Scorchers

Shaun Marsh has proved his fitness and form ahead of the Boxing Day Test after he fired the Perth Scorchers to an eight-wicket victory against the Melbourne Renegades on Thursday.

The 28-year-old – who is in the 13-man squad for the first Test against India – had been under a fitness cloud due to a back problem but after batting in the MCG nets on Wednesday, made his case for selection with a stunning 99 not out from 52 balls.

His innings saw Perth chase down 189 with four balls to spare as the Scorchers won their first ever KFC T20 Big Bash League match in front of 13,265 fans at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne..

The Renegades posted 3-188 from their 20 overs, with captain Andrew McDonald (50) and Aaron Finch (49) to thank for their imposing total.

But that was not enough to contain the Scorchers who were also aided by Herschelle Gibbs' 36-ball 57.

Perth needed a fast but steady beginning to their run-chase, with the telling moment coming from the final ball of the third over.

Just one delivery after Gibbs hit his first six, he was dropped by McDonald – who took the catch only for the ball to spill free upon his impact with the turf – off the bowling of Abdul Razzaq.

And the batsman immediately made Razzaq pay, taking 18 off his next over, while Shaun Marsh also found the boundary regularly with a series of terrific strokes.

Gibbs' whirlwind innings ended in the 10th over when he smashed one to Will Sheridan at deep cover and the Renegades should have made it a double-breakthrough just three overs later.

But Shaun Marsh was also handed a reprieve on 39 when substitute fieldsman Meyrick Buchanan dropped him on the boundary and saw the rebound drop over the rope for six.

He made the most of that chance and added 61 with his younger brother Mitchell, before he was bowled by Shane Harwood (1-31).

Luke Ronchi (8no) came to the crease and farmed the strike to Shaun Marsh in the dying stages, with the latter continually finding the boundary with ease before he finished the match with a six straight over Razzaq's head.

Earlier, a 91-run partnership between McDonald and Finch gave the Renegades a superb start.

Perth captain Marcus North used six bowlers in the first 10 overs but none were able to remove the Melbourne openers who made batting look easy.

After a tidy first over from Michael Beer (2-28), Finch got to work and quickly begun hitting boundaries while his partner in crime waited until the fifth over before he hit the first six of the innings as Mitchell Marsh (0-26) was plundered over long-on.

In the same over Finch was hit by a short delivery and after some initial medical attention, he batted on.

Brad Hogg (1-22) was introduced and although he stemmed the flow of runs, his fellow bowlers weren't so lucky as Marsh and Paul Collingwood (0-13) were both belted.

But the breakthrough did finally come as the 40-year-old Hogg lured Finch down the wicket before yorking him and hitting middle stump.

Finch went to hospital with a suspected punctured lung after he finished his innings but his teammates kept the run-rate up as Glenn Maxwell (31) quickly got going.

He should not have even been given the chance though after Nathan Rimmington spilled a chance in the outfield but McDonald was soon dismissed when he picked out Mitchell Marsh off the bowling of Beer.

Maxwell blasted three successive sixes off North in the 15th over, only to be another Beer victim just moments later after he advanced down the wicket and played and missed.

Lusty hitting in the latter stages from Razzaq (27no) and Nathan Reardon (22no) helped the Renegades to a terrific total but ultimately it was not enough as Melbourne had no answer for the Shaun Marsh show.