The Perth Scorchers’ remarkable defensive bowling has seen them qualify for a fourth straight Big Bash League final and hand the Melbourne Stars a fourth successive semi-final exit with a 18-run win at the WACA Ground.

Andrew Tye went from villain to hero for the Scorchers.

He faced the final over of the home team’s innings and didn’t come close to laying bat on ball to six straight slower balls from Clint McKay, but he made up for it taking 4-18 with the ball to lead his team home.

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The Scorchers struggled in their innings batting first, making 7-144 from their 20 overs on the back of 50 from Michael Carberry, 35 from Shaun Marsh and a late 22 from nine balls from the returning Nathan Coulter-Nile.

The Stars’ bowling did well limiting their chase to 145 and were led by John Hastings (3-27) and 2-25 from Michael Beer.

However, the Scorchers have made the past three BBL finals and won last year’s title based on their terrific defensive bowling and they dismissed the Stars for 126 to book a spot in Wednesday’s final in Canberra against the Sydney Sixers.

Stars openers Cameron White and Luke Wright survived the early barrage from Coulter-Nile, playing his first game since injuring his hamstring on November 21 last year, and Jason Behrendorff but White was struggling and eventually fell for 13 off 24 balls in the seventh over.

The visitors continued to make steady progress through English pair Wright and Kevin Pietersen but the fall of Wright for 31 off 25 deliveries in the 11th over from Tye started a procession.

Peter Handscomb came and went for a duck, Rob Quiney made just seven, Tom Triffitt one and then potential match-winner Pietersen fell to Coulter-Nile when attempting a pull shot.

Pietersen made 31 from 27 balls with his only six being a remarkable switch-hit sweep off Hogg.

The Stars’ chances of winning disappeared after Pietersen’s dismissal and they were bowled out in the final over with their last hope Hastings falling for 22.

-AAP