Game recap: Well you have to say that game was what Twenty20 cricket is all about.
Some lusty hitting from Herschelle Gibbs and Mitch Marsh that lifted the Scorchers to a more than handy total, then some late blows from Matthew Wade that could have lifted the Stars from an impossible position into a potentially threatening one.
In between the heroics with the bat, there was evidence that the BBL is a bowler's competition as well. Shane Warne was wicketless but bowled well on what might be his last appearance at the WACA, while Ben Edmondson's double-wicket maiden (and Luke Ronchi's superb catch) swung the game firmly in Perth's favour.
Then Brad Hogg claimed 2/17 from four overs to keep the pressure on the Stars.
The Stars were brave in finishing 12 runs short but the fact Luke Wright (33) and James Faulkner (38) couldn't get to 50 and beyond made their task all the more difficult.
The Scorchers now have a date in the Champions' League in India but, more immediately will host either the Sydney Sixers or the Hobart Hurricanes in next weekend's BBL grand final.
Tickets for the grand final will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday. The Hurricanes and Sixers play at 4pm (WST) tomorrow (Sunday) in the second semi-final .
8.24pm: What a story the Scorchers have been this season - rank outsiders pre-summer to likely title favourites now. And what a story George Bradley Hogg has been. No prizes for guessing who is the most popular man at the WACA tonight - as the reader-contributed photo below would attest.
8.19pm: Scrap that. No super over here. McKay gets two more off the next delivery with a hit to long on and the last ball from Rimmington is a dot ball. The Stars finish 8/163 - 12 runs shy of their target and the Scorchers are into the Champions League and, more importantly, will host next weekend's BBL final at the WACA .
8.17pm: Wait on - McKay smashes the next one (a full toss) for SIX straight down the ground. It's back to 13 in two balls and the super over could come into play.
8.15pm: Clint McKay on drives Rimmington for two and it's 19 needed off three balls - nearly mathematically impossible.
8.13pm: 27 needed off six balls. Wade starts with a big six that gives Melbourne some hope but the next ball is a WICKET! A full toss from Rimmington that is caught on the long on boundary by Mitch Marsh. Stars 8/154 and needing 21 off four balls .
8.07pm: Another boundary from Wade, this time a cut shot, has it back to 38 needed in two overs. The Stars are 7/137 and it looks a big ask.
8.04pm: Stars need 45 off 16 . Their equation looks a bit better after Matthew Wade went long and strong to hit a big six off Nathan Rimmington.
7.59pm: WICKET: George Bailey tries to cut one he shouldn't have been cutting and he's bowled by Hogg. The crowd favourite finishes his four overs with a brilliant 2/17 and the Stars are 7/113, still needing 62 off just 24 balls .
7.58pm: The Stars just haven't found anyone to play an anchoring innings here. Wright (33) and Faulkner (38) got set and then got out, then Cameron White finally found some form but fell trying to force the run rate.
7.54pm: WICKET! Marsh's delivery is only fractionally shorter this time but White hits it higher than he does long and is caught by Simon Katich at long on. Stars 6/108 .
7.53pm: BANG! BANG! Mitch Marsh pitches up and Cameron White responds with a six over long on and a four straight down the ground. Stars 5/108 .
7.49pm: Brilliant over from Brad Hogg. Only the two off it. Crowd cranks up the "Hoggy" chant again and the Stars are 5/98 and needing 77 off 36 deliveries.
7.48pm: The Stars' equation is now exactly 12 an over - 78 off 39 balls . That's going to be tough.
7.43pm: WICKET! Mitch Marsh digs one in short and Adam Voges mis-cues the pull shot, which goes straight into the safe hands of Rimmington at short fine leg. Stars have now lost 4/20 and are 5/96 after 12 overs . Melbourne also hasn't hit a boundary since the sixth over.
7.38pm: Oh boy, that was so close. Voges perilously near to being run out after he was stranded half-way down the pitch. Herschelle Gibbs had one stump to aim for and only just missed. Nathan Coulter-Nile's over also includes a nasty bouncer to Adam Voges and the Stars are 3/91 - needing 84 off 48 balls . Have to say the Scorchers probably have the edge just now.
7.35pm: Actually, make that six dot balls. That was a double-wicket maiden from Edmondson that leaves the Stars 4/88 after 11 overs .
7.34pm: Hatrick averted but a great delivery from Edmondson first-up to Cameron White. Dug in short and the Stars skipper fends it away from his rib-cage. The next delivery is also a bouncer that White scrambles under. That's four dot balls that also netted two wickets.
7.33pm: WICKET: What a catch by Luke Ronchi! Wide full delivery from Edmondson which Hussey slashes at and edges, Ronchi dives away to his right and snares it in the one glove. Stars 3/88 and Edmondson is on a hat-trick.
7.31pm: WICKET: You couldn't call that the best delivery from Edmondson - it was a change-up in pace that pitched mid-track. But Luke Wright mistimed his pull shot and it went straight down Marcus North's gullet at mid-wicket. Stars 3/88 and erstwhile West Australian David Hussey comes to the crease.
7.26pm: Hogg really is a marvel at the age of 40 - both for his sheer enthusiasm and the quality of his bowling. Just had a huge LBW shout against Adam Voges turned down. Voges slipped trying to sweep and while there was no doubt of the ball hitting the stumps, it pitched a bee's whisker outside leg stump. Stars are 2/88 and the equation becomes 87 off 60 balls .
7.23pm: Another tidy over from Beer. Stars are now 2/81 and needing 94 runs to win off 66 balls . Match very much in the balance.
7.22pm: It's an all left-arm spin attack, you don't see that too often on the fast WACA pitch - Beer at one end, Hogg at the other. Coming in at No. 4 for the Stars is WA batsman Adam Voges.
7.19pm: WICKET: And it's the hitman Hogg who does the business. He fooled Luke Wright with a wrong'un earlier in the over (the ball popped up just over Hogg's head), then got James Faulkner to loft one to Mitch Marsh at deep mid wicket. The youngster makes no mistake and the Stars are 2/75 after eight overs.
7.16pm: Speak of the devil. The outfield kelpie dog has been thrown the ball now and the chant of Hoggy echoes around the WACA.
7.13pm: Now it's Beer who gets the ball again. A tidier over and also a missed stumping, as Ronchi can't take advantage of a tough chance from Wright. Stars are 1/69 after seven and the big question is "why hasn't Brad Hogg bowled yet?"
7.08pm: Scorchers captain Marcus North is trying everything to get a much-needed wicket. Rimmington comes back into the attack but he can't stem the flow as Faulkner steps away towards square leg and punches a boundary over cover. Wright and Faulkner have now put on 50 and the Stars are up to 1/60 in the sixth over.
7.05pm: SIX! And also 50 for the Stars part-way through the fifth over. Coulter-Nile dug one in short and Wright swayed back and lifted it over mid-wicket for the maximum score. Melbourne is making an excellent fist of this run chase.
7.03pm: Apologies readers, that was James Faulkner who hit Edmondson for consecutive fours. He followed up with another boundary on an edge through the slips and the Stars are travelling at 1/38 off four overs.
7.00pm: Luke Wright really is a dangerous batsman and he must be starting to concern the Scorchers here. The first two balls of this Ben Edmondson over went to the boundary. Stars 1/33 in the fourth .
6.57pm: Stars steady in their chase of 175 for victory. Luke Wright lofts the last ball of a Nathan Coulter-Nile over for four through the off side to take the score to 1/25 after three overs. Bit of a waste for Coulter-Nile, coming straight after bouncer that he whistled past the nostrils of the batsman.
6.51pm: Nathan Rimmington is obviously as tough as his beard! Dislocated a finger fielding at the end of that over, had it popped back into place and then took the ball at the other end. Brad Hogg fields the first ball of Rimmington's over to wide applause, Stars 1/13 .
6.46pm: WICKET: Slick work from Luke Ronchi to stump Rob Quiney off Beer. Stars 1/8 and it's been an eventful over. Beer shaped to Mankad Wright and then Quiney hit two fours through the off side, the first of them after a stumbling Simon Katich fell over and knocked the ball to the boundary.
6.45pm: Rob Quiney and Luke Wright open for the Stars. Left-arm spinner Michael Beer takes the ball first for the Scorchers.
6.43pm: The TAB has the Scorchers as favourites here as Melbourne goes in to bat. Perth is $1.45 currently, the Stars are $2.65.
Innings summary: Well that was an innings of swaying momentum. The Scorchers clearly had the best of the first eight overs, then the Stars were probably on top for the next eight, before Mitch Marsh slammed 41 off 22 balls to lift Perth to 3/174 .
It's a good wicket but you'd have to say that target is going to be tough to chase. Another 15 runs might have made it really hard but the Stars are still going to have to be keeping the scoreboard ticking over solidly from the first ball. The Scorchers might also enjoy fielding in less testing conditions.
Aside from Marsh, the highlight of the Scorchers' innings was another fine half-century from Herschelle Gibbs. Shane Warne bowled well but lucklessly to finish with 0/29 for the Stars, with Jackson Bird, Luke Wright and Clint McKay all picking up a wicket apiece.
6.28pm: Correction, I got a bit excited there. There was only one over remaining. Bird is tidy for the rest of it after Marsh's explosive start and the Scorchers finish with 3/174 off their 20 overs .
6.27pm: Right on cue Mitch Marsh smacks consecutive straight sixes off Jackson Bird. His two previous sixes were mishits but these weren't. Beautifully timed and the Scorchers are 3/171 .
6.24pm: Crunch time here for the Scorchers. Could be make or break stuff for both sides. Score is 3/159 with two overs left and a couple of big overs could lift Perth to an imposing total.
6.21pm: SIX! Yikes, Mitch Marsh must be batting with a railway sleeper out there. He completely sliced a baseball swing off Clint McKay and it still went for six over long off. Carried several rows back too. He follows up with a cracking pull shot for four and the Scorchers are 3/156 in the 18th over .
6.17pm: SIX! Mitch Marsh is a big lad and he needed his frame then. An agricultural and not really well timed slog off Luke Wright just carries the long on boundary. Scorchers 3/144 in the 17th over.
6.14pm: Big-hitting Luke Ronchi has joined Marsh at the crease. Scorchers 3/136 after 17 and really need to lift the scoring again in these last three overs. They were on track for 190 early, now it's looking more like 165.
6.09pm: WICKET: Luke Wright bowls Gibbs a rank half-tracker and he hits it straight up in the air and the bowler does his own catching. Gibbs out for 71 off 46 and the renowned ladies man gets the chance to be interviewed by Fox's photogenic sideline reporter Jess Yates coming off the ground. Scorchers 3/132 .
6.08pm: Lovely little battle here of the old and the new. Warne, 43 years, bowling to Mitch Marsh, 19. Marsh gets off strike with a single and Gibbs follows up with a straight drive for four that takes him to 71. Scorchers 2/132 after 16 and Warne finishes a luckless spell with 0/29 off four.
6.06pm: Unbelievable - in the words of Shane Warne himself. Pitches up and Gibbs goes the slog and skies it. But it lands safely about 20m behind the bowler. Scorchers 2/126 in the 15th over.
5.59pm: WICKET: Collingwood tries to hit Clint McKay down the ground and is caught at long on by George Bailey. That makes the Scorchers 2/120 and brings young gun Mitch Marsh to the crease.
5.57pm: run rate has picked up again. Gibbs has raced to 63 off 40 and the Scorchers are 1/120 after 14 . During that over Herschelle flat-batted a straight drive past James Faulkner's ears for four and also whipped a near-six off his toes just backward of square leg.
5.52pm: 100 up for the Scorchers, 50 up for Herschelle Gibbs. The run rate has slowed significantly in recent overs but nevertheless that's Gibbs' fourth half-century in six games this summer. Scorchers 1/105 after 13.
5.47pm: Poor old Warnie. Classic stuff there as he bowls a lovely wrong'un to Collingwood, then tempts him with a slower wider delivery the next ball. Collingwood top edges the sweep but there's no one at mid-wicket and Warne himself has to sprint around in the heat and chase the catch. The crowd roars when the ball hits the turf. Scorchers 1/95 after 12 .
Royboy reports that Warne might be 43 but he's still a joy to watch. There were a couple of boos early for him but Perth fans seem to now be appreciating what might be their last chance to see him bowl.
5.42pm: This battle between Warne and Gibbs/Collingwood is terrific to watch. Warne's keeping a tight line outside off, the Scorchers batsmen keep wanting to defy the spin and swing the ball away through the leg side. It doesn't work until the end off the 10th over, when Gibbs sweeps it away for four. Scorchers 1/84 .
5.38pm: Very handy over from Bird there - only three from it. Gibbs is now 37 off 24, Collingwood is 9 off 10 and the Scorchers are 1/70 after nine.
Our man on the spot Royboy reports that the sun still has some bite down at the ground. Reckons Warnie doesn't look all that comfortable in the heat and that it might impact on the plastic surgery that the legendary leg-spinner never had!
5.31pm: And straight away Warne almost has Collingwood stumped. The Englishman comes down the pitch and the ball turns and beats the bat and also Stars keeper Matthew Wade. Collingwood answers by sweeping the next delivery for FOUR down to fine leg. Scorchers 1/67 after eight overs .
5.29pm: And speaking of Warnie. Here comes the great man on to bowl for the Stars.
5.27pm: Slight surprise here with Shane Warne's old mate Paul Collingwood coming in at No. 3 for the Scorchers rather than Mitch Marsh.
5.25pm: WICKET: North gone after stepping across his stumps and attempting to flick Bird over fine leg. Got under it and David Hussey took the catch right inside the ropes. Scorchers 1/57. North is interviewed coming off the pitch and says Perth should be aiming for 170-plus.
5.21pm: SIX. Whoa, Marcus North really gets hold of Faulkner there. Advances down the pitch and whacks him over long off, it must have carried 15 rows back. Scorchers go to 0/53 and the people who said North couldn't be a Twenty20 opener are presumably munching on their words.
5.19pm: End of the fifth over and Scorchers are 0/44 . Good stuff from Clint McKay for Melbourne there - Gibbs wants to back away to square leg and give himself room to hit and McKay just kept chasing him out there with well-aimed deliveries.
Update from our man Royboy at the WACA. Says he doesn't know which is more blazing - the heat or Herschelle Gibbs' start. Reports it's a packed house at The Furnace and a cracking atmosphere.
5.15pm: In other news, the "miked up" Shane Warne just informed us that he's going off the field and visiting the lavatory! That's probably a first for live cricket coverage.
5.14pm: Gibbs and North have been revelations this BBL season. North just drove Hussey for a boundary and the Scorchers have moved to 0/38 off four overs.
5.11pm: Was going to say that was a much better over for the Stars. But then Gibbs got on strike and pulled James Faulkner for a brilliant boundary. Gibbs now 25 off nine balls and Perth is 0/30 . Marcus North was dropped in that over - a tough return catch for Faulkner from a full-blooded straight drive.
5.08pm: It's all happening at the WACA. Gibbs hits Bird into the stratosphere but it comes down just in front of the ropes, only for Luke Wright to grass the chance. Scorchers 0/23 after two overs .
5.06pm: FOUR. FOUR. FOUR. Gibbs on fire here in the second over. Hits Jackson Bird for three consecutive boundaries, the second two of them brilliant lofted off drives. Scorchers flying at 0/19 .
5.05pm: Honours probably even after that first over. Scorchers 0/7 . Perth had the best of the first half of the over, Hussey came back with two dot balls to North to finish it.
5.02pm: FOUR. Assuming Hussey will call that a loosener. Full toss outside off stump that Gibbs drives for four to give the Scorchers a dream start.
5.01pm: One-time WA hopeful David Hussey has the ball for the Stars.
5pm: No surprises here with Marcus North and Herschelle Gibbs opening for the Scorchers - they've been the backbone of Perth's batting throughout this season. Temperature is down to 29 degrees but it is sticky.
4.55pm: However annoying Hogg might be to his teammates, he's a really key bowler for the Scorchers tonight. Be interested to get some input from readers - everyone knows Shane Warne is the best spinner of all time but who is the more valuable Twenty20 bowler right now, Warnie or Hoggy?
4.50pm: Classic sledge from Simon Katich, telling Fox Sports that Brad Hogg has been an absolute pest during his comeback. Katich says the best thing about being on the field is that the crowd noise drowns out Hoggy's talking!
4.43pm: Greg Blewett has had a look at the pitch and reckons it will take spin - good news for those keen to watch Shane Warne and Brad Hogg in action. Fox Sports is currently interviewing Nic Naitanui. The big fella can't put a Scorchers hat on because of his hair but geez you can imagine he'd be a frightening sight coming off a long run.
4.40pm: The big team news for the Scorchers is that Herschelle Gibbs returns from a foot injury and Nathan Rimmington is also back. Gibbs says he doesn't know whether he could be described as fit but he is ready to go.
4.37pm: Scorchers skipper Marcus North has won the toss and elected to bat. North says that tactic has worked in the past and he's hopeful of it working again here tonight.
4.30pm: Welcome readers. Fair to say it's an absolute stinker here in Perth. We reached a top of 35 degrees a little before midday and it's still almost 33 degrees. There's a hint of the Freo Doctor at the moment but right now The Furnace tag for the WACA is really applicable.
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