BLAKE BINT names the best XI from the eight-team tournament after Perth Scorchers captured their fifth title
Sixty-one matches, seven-and-a-half weeks and once again Perth Scorchers are on top. Victory over Brisbane Heat captured a fifth men's title, retaining their crown from last term in dramatic fashion.
From Sydney Thunder being 15 all out, Adam Zampa's attempted Mankad, Steve Smith's back-to-back hundreds to Heat's late surge to the final, it has been a tournament containing plenty of talking points.
But who will history remember as the stand-out players? Here is The Cricketer's team of the tournament...
Matt Short (Adelaide Strikers)
14 matches, 458 runs, average 35.23, strike rate 144.47, 11 wickets, 7.13 economy
A second successive appearance in our team of the tournament for the Victoria allrounder. The second-highest run-scorer and one of three centurions also chipped in with 11 wickets via his canny off-spin. And with seven catches to boot - including a fine one-handed grab against Thunder - he was a factor at every stage of the game.
Chris Lynn (Adelaide Strikers)
11 matches, 416 runs, average 41.60, strike rate 141.01
Playing his first season away from Brisbane, the BBL's all-time leading scorer edged out Aaron Finch having fallen just 12 runs short of the Australia T20 captain in four fewer matches. Indeed, had he not jetted off for the ILT20 he would surely have topped the tree.
Chris Lynn continued his remarkable BBL success (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Steve Smith (Sydney Sixers)
Five matches, 346 runs, average 86.50, strike rate 174.74
Despite only joining up with the Sixers late in the season due to his Australia commitments, Smith played a key role in motoring Sixers towards the playoffs before they twice fell short at the penultimate hurdle. Became the second BBL player to reel off successive centuries (Ben McDermott is the other) and added a half-century to break into the top 11 run-scorers.
Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers)
15 matches, 460 runs, average 41.81, strike rate 141.10
The English-born 24-year-old led the Scorchers' run to their fifth title. The leading run-scorer who struck a tournament-best 45 fours and was key in run-chases against Brisbane Heat (65 not out) and Hobart Hurricanes (90 not out).
Josh Inglis (Perth Scorchers)
16 matches, 431 runs, average 35.91, strike rate 146.59, 16 catches, two stumpings
Played a pivotal part in another successful Scorchers campaign. The fastest scorer of any of the top six run-getters, struck four half-centuries and finished with the most dismissals of any wicketkeeper in the competition.
David remains one of the premier hitters in the death overs (Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Ashton Turner (Perth Scorchers)
16 matches, 381 runs, average 42.33, strike rate 155.51
Impossible to ignore following two player of the match performances in the Qualifier and the final as Scorchers retained their title. Blitzed a 47-ball 87 not out to beat Sydney Sixers and then rallied the chase against Heat, registering a half-century before Cooper Connolly's fireworks. A quartet of fifties at a strike rate in excess of 150 is a world-class return.
Tim David (Hobart Hurricanes)
14 matches, 354 runs, average 39.33, strike rate 160.90
The Singapore and Australian international played the finisher role again for the Hurricanes. Five unbeaten innings in 14 innings and a best of 76 not out underlined why he is one of the best on the planet in this position.
Michael Neser (Brisbane Heat)
17 matches, 26 wickets, 8.51 economy
Neser had a quiet international summer but he more than made up for it in the BBL. No bowler bettered his three four-wicket hauls, bowling with pace and accuracy at both ends of the innings. Heat progressed to the final courtesy of one of the individual performances of the competition, as Neser's 48 from 32 balls defeated Sixers in the Challenger. And then there was that catch against Sixers.
Andrew Tye produced another eye-catching campaign (Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers)
15 matches, 29 wickets, 7.44 economy
The leading wicket-taker as the Sixers' star bowler delivered his best individual BBL season yet, reaching 29 wickets - seven more than in any previous campaign. Was supreme in the Qualifier but his efforts - 1 for 13 - were in vain.
Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers)
16 matches, 26 wickets, 8.45 economy
Tye completes the Scorchers quartet after a 26-wicket campaign which delivered another title. Has now passed the landmark of 20 wickets in three successive campaigns, though his form did tail off somewhat towards the end of the season.
Patrick Dooley (Hobart Hurricanes)
10 matches, 19 wickets, 6.56 economy
The funky left-armer was the leading spinner in the BBL. Had only previously made one BBL appearance before this season but quickly became a key figure in the Hurricanes' attack. An extraordinary action which made him tough to read, few batters were able to conquer him.
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.