A clash of familiar titans to decide the BBL title

The two most successful clubs in BBL history will once again battle it out for the title. Perth Scorchers have won it on five occasions, Sydney Sixers three times. The pair have met in five previous deciders which means this encounter makes it the most repeated T20 final in history.

If Sixers take the crown, they'll have done it the long way with a return trip to Perth in the space of six days having stumbled in the Qualifier, but they put together an excellent performance against Hobart Hurricanes at the SCG. They will need to be much better with the bat than they were at Optus Stadium earlier in the week when they were bundled out for 99.

Scorchers will have to be favourites on home soil in front of what is expected to be a sold out crowd pushing 53,000. They reworked their list during the off-season, moving on from the experienced bowling pair of Jason Behrendorff and AJ Tye, a shift rewarded by the emergence of Mahli Beardman. Their stacked batting order has come together with Finn Allen a pivotal figure at the top and the luxury of Laurie Evans at No. 7.

However, despite the heavy defeat in the first final, Sixers are a formidable T20 side. Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc have bolstered them since the end of the Ashes and their local depth is so strong they won't have fielded an overseas player in the last two finals following Babar Azam's last-minute call-up to a Pakistan training camp.

As with Scorchers, they have backed some youth this season with Joel Davies a breakout star who was player of the match in the Challenger while Lachlan Shaw is keeping Jordan Silk out of the XI. Jack Edwards, like Beardman, has earned an Australia call-up on the back of his performances.

There will likely be eight players featuring in the final who will be straight on a plane to link up with Australia's T20 squad the morning after. Will it be those in orange or magenta boarding the plane happier?

Form guide

Perth Scorchers WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sydney Sixers WLWWW

December 14: Perth Scorchers won by five wickets
January 20: Perth Scorchers won by 48 runs

Click here for Perth Scorchers' full route to the final and here for Sydney Sixers

Mahli Beardman got the better of Smith in the Qualifier, and it was the wicket which all-but decided the match. He has grown in confidence throughout the season having been able to put together a run of matches after Scorchers' decision to refresh their bowling attack. He had played just one T20 before this summer. Beardman has already twice featured around Australia squads and could make his international debut before playing a first-class match should he earn a cap in Pakistan next week.

Mitchell Starc is a fast bowler at the opposite end of the career spectrum, but there is no sign of him slowing down - literally. In the Challenger final against Hurricanes, one of his deliveries was clocked at 149kph. Throw in the long return flights to Perth and it has been a massive effort from Starc after the Ashes. "Yes," he said when asked if he was feeling tired. "Four overs to go. My golf season starts on Monday, so one more game, see if we can do what we can to win a final, then I'll be putting my feet up."

Scorchers brought in an extra quick - Brody Couch - for the Qualifier and they have been boosted by the availability of left-arm seamer Joel Paris who will now contest that final spot unless they opt to bring back legspinner Luke Holt. Sixers brought in Daniel Hughes for Babar Azam against Hurricanes and they are likely to keep an unchanged side.

Perth Scorchers (probable): 1 Mitchell Marsh, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Aaron Hardie, 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Cooper Connolly, 6 Ashton Turner (capt), 7 Laurie Evans, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Brody Couch, 10 David Payne, 11 Mahli Beardman

Sydney Sixers (probable): 1 Steven Smith, 2 Daniel Hughes, 3 Josh Philippe (wk), 4 Moises Henriques (capt), 5 Lachlan Shaw, 6 Jack Edwards, 7 Joel Davies, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Ben Manenti, 10 Sean Abbott, 11 Mitchell Starc

The final will be played on the pitch which staged the two-day Ashes Test back in late November. Surfaces at Optus Stadium have left everyone guessing this season, even Scorchers, and they've produced a top score of just 153. The other factor, unusually for summer in Perth, is that there is the forecast for some showers. There is a reserve day for the final, but the match would be reduced to five overs per side first.

"Not that that means much, it just means we're old. But obviously the two incredibly successful clubs go at it again in another final."
Mitchell Starc on being a survivor from BBL01