A sea of orange at Optus Stadium for the Big Bash League final has broken the venue’s cricket crowd record, with 55,018 fans piling into the venue to see Perth Scorchers take on Sydney Sixers.

Josh Philippe was the first to succumb to Payne's slower ball when he chipped a simple caught and bowled back to the towering left-armer, before Lachy Shaw and Sixers skipper Moises Henriques both found Mitch Marsh at point after mistiming off-cutter.

It was during the 16th over when thick black smoke rose near a stadium gate, alarming fans inside and outside the ground and briefly sparking panic

Optus Stadium has now won stadium of the year every year since 2019, with the exception of the inaugural 2018 vote, which was nabbed by the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The west won big as RAC Arena edged out east coast heavyweight Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to snag best indoor arena for the third consecutive year.

The incident occurred as the Perth Scorchers faced the Sydney Sixers in a crucial playoff match. Thick, black smoke was seen rising from a patch of ground just outside one of the entrances, causing brief concern among fans and onlookers.

Police rushed to put out a grass fire in the Optus Stadium precinct during the Perth Scorchers BBL Qualifier victory over the Sydney Sixers on Tuesday night.