Perth Scorchers’ season has ended with a whimper, an embarrassing batting collapse and a loss to Sydney Thunder.

The Big Bash League powerhouse lost to the Thunder by 61 runs, rolled for just 97 after one of their best bowling performances of the season.

It means they can not make finals, with just one match — against Adelaide Strikers at home on Saturday — to come this season.

The Scorchers have lost four consecutive matches and have a 3-6 record from nine matches. The trap door is now open for them to finish dead last if they don’t beat the Strikers.

And they will be left to rue another dismantling of their top order and more death-bowling woes from the defeat at Engie Stadium on Monday night.

“Bad result for us, obviously. There is no hiding from anything,” veteran Ashton Agar said post-match.

“When we reflect on the season we will think, jeez there was a few games there in a row that were really close and that were in our grasp, well and truly and we let it slip. That’s always disappointing, but sometimes that’s the way it goes.

“We hate losing, it is an experienced bunch that has won a lot of cricket, a lot of titles ... the feeling is we just hate losing, so there is a lot of fire in the belly.”

Aaron Hardie barbecued Sam Fanning with an unsightly run out and Cooper Connolly, their best batter this campaign, was also caught short by a direct hit.

It came as they crumbled to 5-48, with import Finn Allen out shoveling a ball to cover for nine and Hardie — who had muscled two sixes after his run out sin — bowled by wrist-spinner Tanveer Sangha for 22.

Ashton Turner, the Scorchers’ great hope in the middle order, heaved a Chris Green half-tracker to a sweeper at mid-wicket for four.

Matt Spoors tried to escape the shackles of Green and Andrews but walk down the wicket and past a wide one to be stumped for 13 off 27.

Their finals hopes had a beating heart when a trio of Scorchers spinners repaid Turner’s faith and strangled the Thunder’s middle order.

Connolly took 1-16 from four, Agar finished with 1-14 and Spoors claimed 1-8 from two.

The Thunder managed to squeeze out 7-158, thanks to a late surge from tailenders Tom Andrews and Green. Andrews made 37 off just 13 balls, including a monster six off Behrendorff’s 25-run last over, in a partnership worth 44.

“I felt like they played their home ground pretty well and they finished their innings really well, Tommy Andrews’ innings at the end killed us a bit there, shifted the momentum and they knew exactly what they had to do,” Agar said.

Test sensation Sam Konstas made a half-century, before he was caught in the deep for 53 off 42 and left his tail to navigate the final overs.

Konstas faced just 25 of the first 60 balls, despite owning the entire first two overs, and was visibly frustrated with wickets tumbling at the other end.

Thunder captain David Warner fell for just eight off a Morris delivery that was simply too quick for him.

Morris, who finished with 3-48 and teenage debutant Mahli Beardman put on an early pace tirade before the Scorchers’ spin trio were entrusted with the middle overs.

The Thunder went 60 balls without scoring a boundary and at one point, six overs without scoring multiple runs off any ball.

Connolly celebrated the ripping a doosra through Sam Billings’ defence with a bow-and-arrow and Agar shot one through Hugh Wiebgen.

Spoors had left-hand disruptor George Garton caught in the deep on just one for his maiden Big Bash wicket.

In a bizarre late twist to the match, the Thunder appeared to have sealed victory when Behrendorff spooned a ball to cover, but wicketkeeper Billings had knocked a bail off with his glove.

The 19-year-old Beardman was handed a Scorchers debut with Jhye Richardson out after making the call to go for shoulder surgery and Andrew Tye dropped.