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Jhye Richardson's sensational BBL10 campaign has continued, the speedster with four wickets and a vital 29 with the bat as the Perth Scorchers locked away a final spot with a 22 run win over the Hobart Hurricanes at Docklands Stadium on Friday.
Richardson took his tally to 25 wickets for the tournament as Perth successfully defended 179 to book their first finals appearance since BBL07.
Ashton Turner continued his trend of winning the bat flip and deciding to bat first, backing his batsmen to set a defendable score with the roof open for the afternoon clash.
Jason Roy found the boundary early but departed to Nathan Ellis for 20, Scorchers leading run scorer Colin Munro with a rare failure when he chopped on to the part time spin of Will Jacks for just five.
Liam Livingstone was looking ominous as he reached 26 from only 15 balls, before holing out off the bowling of leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichane, caught at deep square leg trying to clear the rope for a second time.
The return of Mitch Marsh only yeilded seven runs before he became Lamichane's second victim, the innings in danger of losing momentum when Ashton Turner swung and missed at Darcy Short's left arm leg-breaks, bowled for 15 with the Scorchers 5-108.
Josh Inglis produced the innings of substance his team needed, making a fine 58 from 35 balls with four fours and two sixes, Richardson capitalising on the two over power surge as he crashed 29 from 14 balls, both bowled by Ellis as the innings reached a crescendo.
8-179 was a solid total for the Scorchers without ever really hitting top gear, Ellis with career best figures in claiming 4-34 while Lamichane took 2-27 for Hobart.
Richardson again struck early with the ball for Perth, Matthew Wade popping back a return catch in the opening over having made six before taking the key scalp of Ben McDermott in his second, Turner catching the skier to send the Hurricanes master blaster back for a duck.
Dawid Malan skewed a catch to deep cover off the bowling of Behrendorff to leave Hobart 3-33, but D'Arcy Short and Peter Handscomb built a partnership of 44 dominated by the latter.
The power surge was taken after ten overs, Handscomb getting Richardson away for back to back boundaries before the bowler had the last laugh, a slower ball shattering the stumps as the Hurricanes number five connected with thin air on his attempted slog over mid-off.
Short held the key but picked out Richardson at fine leg from the bowling of Behrendorff after top scoring with 43, Tim David with a late cameo of 27 but not enough to get his side home, Richardson fittingly sealing the result with his fourth scalp in removing the power hitter.
The Hurricanes finished on 8-157 to hand their opponents a 22 run victory, Richardson with 4-33 to continue to press his claims for an international recall, whether it be with the T20 side to New Zealand or the Test squad to South Africa.
Behrendorff was superb in claiming 2-17 from four overs, wickets for Liam Livingstone and Andrew Tye as part of another clinical Perth bowling performance.
The win books a finals spot for Adam Voges' men with two matches still to play, back in action against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Saturday with the focus now on securing a home final.
IMAGE: Cricket Australia.