PERTH Scorchers have suffered their first defeat of KFC BBL11 after being comprehensively outplayed by Sydney Thunder in Canberra.

Thunder, returning to their alternative home at Manuka Oval where they won their previous match against Brisbane Heat, dominated from start to finish as they piled on 200-7 against an uncharacteristically sloppy Perth attack.

The moment that summed up the night for the Scorchers was when AJ Tye – the competition’s fourth leading wicket-taker of all-time and BBL11’s top bowler – was booted from the attack when in his second over he delivered two above-the-waist full tosses that were deemed dangerous.

It was a horror three balls for the 35-year-old who delivered a chest-high full toss at Alex Ross the first ball he faced, a wide and then another chest-high full toss that Ross promptly dispatched to the rope.

That was when the umpires moved in and removed Tye from the attack after just nine legal deliveries with figures of 1-26.

The red-hot Mitch Marsh also had a rare night to forget of late, conceding 50 runs from his four overs before clipping a ball off his pads straight to the fielder on the boundary to depart for just six with the bat.

Leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou was also subbed out at the 10-over mark of the first innings after conceding just three from his solitary over, before his X-factor replacement Lance Morris went for 12 runs during his first.

It was in-form batters Jason Sangha and Sam Billings who did the damage after being asked to bat first by Scorchers’ captain Ashton Turner.

Matthew Kelly, back in the side after England speedster Tymal Mills was rested, got the visitors off to a dream start by removing both Thunder openers within the four-over powerplay.

Alex Hales, the competition’s leading run-scorer last season, continued his struggles in BBL|11 as he battled his way to 13 with a four off the gloves to fine leg and a top edge pull shot in the same zone for six.

It was then Kelly (3-30) again who put him out of his misery with a gem of a delivery that dropped through the air and clattered into the stumps.

That brought Billings and Sangha together who put on 113-run partnership, the Thunder’s highest ever third-wicket stand to take the game away from Scorcher.

The Englishman was the aggressor with 10 fours and two sixes on his way to 67 from just 35 balls, including a huge six off Mitch Marsh to bring up his second half-century of the tournament that landed on the roof of the grandstand.

He then hit a beautiful six over cover in the next over off Australian T20 World Cup spinner Ashton Agar, who conceded 35 from his four overs without a wicket.

Billings was eventually out to Tye on the delivery before all the no-ball commotion.

Billings said it was probably the most complete performance the team had put together this season
We’ve probably let ourselves down in one (skill) or the other in the last few games, we’ve either batted well or bowled well and not backed it up with the opposite,” he said on the Fox Cricket broadcast after the game.

“It was a really good team performance tonight, that’s the cricket that we can play and against a very, very good team.”

Thunder lost three wickets in the power surge in overs 15 and 16, but they also took it for 34 runs to keep the momentum going.

Sangha finished unbeaten on 56, his first half-century of the tournament, and was ably supported by Daniel Sams (10), Ben Cutting (10) and Chris Green (14no) at the back end of the innings.

If there’s one team you wouldn’t feel comfortable against with 200 on the board it would be Scorchers with the likes of Kurtis Patterson, Marsh, Colin Munro, Turner and Laurie Evans in the line-up.

But at 3-17 by the end of the powerplay, with Josh Inglis, Marsh and Patterson back in the sheds, Thunder could quickly breathe a sigh of relief.

It was soon 4-44 when Turner departed to Nathan McAndrew, who was the chief destroyer with 3-40.

Munro and English import Evans put some life back into the chase with a partnership of 43 but Saqib Mahmood returned for his third over just after the halfway point and he sent his countryman packing for 12.

New Zealand left-hander Munro (64 n.o. from 43) continued on but couldn’t find an ally at the other end as the wickets kept tumbling and as the rate climbed beyond 16 an over it just became too much for one batter to shoulder.

Tye vented some frustration with a blistering 44 off 25 balls, his highest score in the BBL, but it came too late to save Scorchers who fell 34 runs short with 166-8 from their 20 overs.

Scorchers remain on top of the ladder despite the loss but Sydney Sixers will have a chance to reclaim the number one spot with a win over Brisbane Heat tonight.

Thunder now sit fourth after leapfrogging Melbourne Stars and next face the seventh placed Adelaide Strikers on New Year’s Eve.

Scorchers will be looking to rebound when they return to Melbourne to take on Stars at Marvel Stadium, their home away from home, tomorrow. (Cricket.com,au)`