Melbourne Stars captain David Hussey insists his struggling side will head to Perth for a Big Bash League semi-final on Tuesday with confidence despite losing their past two matches.
The Stars have been crunched by the Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers in the past week, the latest defeat by three wickets to the Sixers on Saturday night at the MCG.
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Hussey's team enjoyed a seven-wicket win in Perth a week ago, when the Scorchers slipped to 4-13 in the fourth over and never really recovered. Spinner Michael Beer (2-12 off four overs) was instrumental in the win.
"Our plan was to win tonight (Saturday) and then play a home final against the Melbourne Renegades, hopefully pack out the stadium, (but it's) not to be," he said.
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"We have to fly out to Perth. It's probably one of the toughest trips in the Big Bash but we have got some good confidence. We played well there last game and we are going to take a bit of that confidence into the next game."
The Scorchers have since regrouped and, with former Test spearhead Mitchell Johnson again enjoying taking the new ball, have finished on top of the ladder.
Should the Stars win, their quest for an elusive title - they have made the finals in all six years of the BBL - will then be pursued in a grand final either in Sydney or Brisbane, with the Sixers and Heat to clash at the Gabba on Wednesday night.
The Stars have struggled for runs in the middle order, with too much being left to Rob Quiney (35 against the Sixers), Luke Wright (62 off 47 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (39 off 36) at the top of the order.
"The top three, without jinxing them, they are playing very well. We just have to get a substantial score from one of them and, probably, it's up to myself, Sebastian Gotch and Evan Gulbis to really step up, or stand up, and score runs at the back end of the innings," Hussey, who made only four, said.
"You never know over in Perth, finals pressure, anything can happen."
The Stars look set to continue to be without five players on international duty - Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and James Faulkner - while paceman and key "death" bowler John Hastings has been absent all campaign through injury.
The Stars have struggled to curb the runs late in an opposition innings, with Sean Abbott (33 not out off 17 balls) and Johan Botha (25 off 13) dominant in the final five overs on Saturday night.
"Hastings, has been our 'banker' now for a couple of years, he has been a fantastic player but the Aussie selection probably hasn't come at the right time for us," Hussey said.
"We are never going to shy away from that - we want the Stars players to play for Australia but we also want them available to play for the Stars. We have very good depth in talent."
Pietersen said on Friday he was bewildered that Cricket Australia had not released all-rounder Stoinis from the one-day international squad to rejoin the Stars and face the Sixers.
Stoinis (40 not out) and Pietersen (44 not out) had also played key roles in the win over the Scorchers last weekend.
The Stars' defeat meant the Renegades missed out through net run rate on what would have been only their second finals appearance.