The Perth Scorchers are closing in on a minimum $700,000 payday ahead of their games with the two Sydney franchises in the run home to the Big Bash finals.

Sunday night's comfortable win over the Adelaide Strikers improved the Scorchers to 4-1 for the Twenty20 competition, placing them alongside the Hobart Hurricanes but with a game in hand after the Tasmanians lost to the Melbourne Stars at Bellerive Oval last night.

Luke Wright blasted 117 (60 balls, nine sixes) - the highest score in domestic T20 - to lead the Stars to a record Big Bash total of 3-203. In reply, the Hurricanes made 9-184.

The Scorchers' four-game winning streak has all but assured them of a semifinal berth. Victory against the Thunder at ANZ Stadium tomorrow night or the Sixers at the SCG on January 18 will secure the berth.

That outcome would open up a shot at the lucrative Champions League in India in October. Both Big Bash finalists automatically qualify for the tournament.

A semifinal victory assures the Scorchers a financial windfall.

The WA Cricket Association would receive $500,000 under that scenario. Each side that reaches the Champions League receives a minimum $200,000.

A franchise has the potential to earn big money there.

The winning team last year took home $2.5 million and the runners-up $1.3 million.

Veteran wrist spinner Brad Hogg said playing finals would deliver a timely boost to the WA squad's younger players.

"It would give them a taste of what success is and I think that's probably what has been lacking around Western Australian cricket in the last three or four years," Hogg said.

"Hopefully we can have a little bit of success with the Scorchers and it can rub off on the younger blokes in the Warriors squad."

Big-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle looms as the major threat to Perth tomorrow night.

He is the competition's second-highest run scorer with 232.

Hogg could be used to contain the Thunder's danger man, having wound back the clock against the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday with 3-20 from four overs.

"He's probably their main player at the present moment, so we've got to target him," Hogg said.

"If he gets away, we've got to try and restrict him and put the pressure on the rest of the batsmen because if he's not scoring then that puts pressure on their other batsmen. Hopefully we can just do what we've been doing.

"We've been good as a bowling group and our two opening bats have been fantastic and the middle order are starting to lift."

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