Time Turner: Four More Years For Club Great

An outstanding leader with rare skill, power and composure at the batting crease, Turner stands comfortably among the most influential players in BBL history.

The 31-year-old has the joint-record tally of four BBL titles to his name, hoisting the trophy in BBL|04 and BBL|06 before skippering Perth to remarkable triumphs in BBL|11 and BBL|12.

Current Scorchers Head Coach Adam Voges and Sydney Sixers stalwart Moises Henriques (two titles apiece) are the only others to win multiple championships as captain.

Turner is held in exceptionally high regard for his tactical nous, complemented by an ability to unite and inspire those around him. 

This was especially evident during BBL|11 when the team, led by Turner, defied challenging COVID restrictions and won perhaps the most meritorious title in Scorchers history. That year, Perth played 15 of 16 games on the East Coast.  

Turner was also at the helm when the Scorchers saluted in BBL|12 despite all three of Perth’s international draftees and star allrounder Mitch Marsh becoming unavailable less than a month out from the season-opener.

He helped resurrect his team’s hopes with match-defining half-centuries during the BBL|11 and BBL|12 deciders, earning Player of the Final honours for the latter in a famous contest characterised by the late heroics of Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson.

Meticulous and disciplined with his preparation, Turner has made more BBL appearances than any Scorcher (122) and was the first Perth player to notch up 100 BBL games.

The languid right-hander is also the Club’s all-time leading scorer with 2,121 runs (143.89 strike rate), mastering a notoriously difficult role in the middle-order.   

His winning ratio as captain of 66.66 percent (42 wins, 19 losses, two no-result), meanwhile, is bettered only by Voges (67.74 percent) among those to have lead their team at least 15 times.

Reflecting on his new contract, Turner said:  “I’m very appreciative of the support and opportunities I’ve received from the Scorchers throughout my career, and I’m looking forward to being part of the future of this Club, as well.

“I’m at the stage of my career where my priority is trying to win trophies, and I have little doubt Perth is the best place to do that.

“Our ability to keep our core group of players together has been integral to our success in the past and is very much our plan for the future. On top of that, I'm excited to help our promising crop of younger players reach their potential.

“We also have an incredible supporter base. Our Members and fans are the envy of the country, and the whole playing group feels incredibly privileged to play in front of big crowds at Optus Stadium each summer.

“The same can be said of our Partners, who align with our values as an organisation and support us through thick and thin. I look forward to working closely with them in the coming years.”

Perth Scorchers Head Coach Adam Voges said: “We’re very pleased that Ashton has committed to the Club long term. He is one of the finest leaders in the competition, and his tactical nous and calm demeanour help get the best out of our team.

“He prides himself on winning games for the Scorchers and his finishing skills with the bat has seen him do that many times.

“We look forward to having Ashton as our captain for seasons to come.”

Turner will skipper Perth for the 64th time when the Scorchers take on Brisbane Heat in the Boxing Day Bash at Optus Stadium tomorrow.