Cricket: Scorchers crush Sydney Thunder

Mitchell Marsh hit 64 for the Perth Scorchers as part of a 103-run partnership with Marcus North. Photo / Getty Images

The Sydney Thunder's Big Bash season is all but over following a crushing nine-wicket loss to Perth on Wednesday, triggered by the controversial dismissals of openers Chris Gayle and Usman Khawaja.

The Thunder, who now have just two wins from six games and are only a mathematical finals chance, never recovered from the questionable decisions - which reduced them to 2-34 on their way to a dismal 99 all out.

The Scorchers never looked in danger of reaching the target, which they polished off with more than five overs to spare thanks to a 103-run partnership between Mitch Marsh (64) and Marcus North (38).

The victory moves the Scorchers to the top of the ladder on 10 points, and all but secures them a home final.

Evergreen Perth spinner Brad Hogg (2-8) continued to wind back the clock, while paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile finished with the exceptional figures of 3-9, but it was his first two wickets which created the game's major talking point.

Khawaja (8) was unimpressed when given out caught behind by umpire Mick Martell but was given no respite from third umpire Michael Kumutat, who has the option of overturning incorrect decisions.

Instead, it was Gayle who had a decision overruled after he had charged to 20 and survived a loud appeal.

Kumutat, without the use of traditional review methods Hotspot and Snicko, found enough in the replays to remove a clearly bemused Gayle.

The Thunder never recovered, and it was only a 33-run partnership between Tim Armstrong (25) and Scott Coyte (12) which gave their bowlers a tinge of hope.

A furious Thunder captain Dan Smith slammed the decision to remove Gayle, who was adamant that he didn't hit the ball, and deny the crowd of 12,363.

"I'm taking my player's word over any replay or what (the third umpire) thinks he saw,'' Smith told reporters after the game.

"I don't know how you can be 100 per cent sure a bloke hit it. That's the hard thing to take especially when it's such a big scalp.

"There's always going to be mistakes in cricket - we made plenty of them - but I don't know if this referral system works or doesn't work.''

Gayle told reporters after the game that he had not touched the ball and was clearly stunned when it was overturned.

"I didn't feel anything on the bat,'' he said.

"If I'd touched it I would've said I'd touched it. But that's part of the game.

"There's nothing I could've done about it, but once you're given out you've got to leave.''

Gayle revealed he thought he had heard a noise in Khawaja's dismissal, though Coulter-Nile said he didn't even appeal for the wicket because of a lack of noise.

"I couldn't hear a thing out there, so I was just going by deviation,'' he said.

"I saw a bit with Chris's but I didn't see anything in Uzi's.''

- AAP