Perth coach Adam Voges says the Scorchers need to start making an impact as he whacked Marvel Stadium’s “sub-standard” surface and revealed they raised concerns ahead of the match against Melbourne Renegades.

The Scorchers were on the raw end of conditions at the Melbourne venue on Monday night, slipping to 1-2 on the season with a chaotic two-wicket loss.

After losing the bat flip Perth were asked to set a total on a spicy deck that produced almost unplayable seam for 15 overs to go with a patchy outfield that made hitting along the ground nearly impossible.

Opener Keaton Jennings’ dismissal directly resulted from the sub-par conditions; the big Englishman runout after his bat got stuck in the soft grass.

To compound matters, the pitch firmed up in the second innings, allowing the Renegades to bat in far easier conditions.

“Clearly, the outfield is sub-standard, and the aesthetics of it is poor,” Voges said post-match.

“Clearly the wicket played differently in the second innings then what it did in the first innings, so it’s a shame that the bat flip had such an influence.

“I’ll have to check with the players as to how it felt running around on it. We rocked up yesterday and saw that, and that is what it is, but you then combine that with the wicket; it’s been tough tonight.

“We expressed our concerns before the game, but ultimately, we were always okay to play the game if the BBL decided the ground was fit for play.”

Despite the unfortunate conditions, rising star Cooper Connolly added another feather to his cap, hitting a gritty 66 off 50 balls and surviving from the first over to the last batting at three to see his side to a competitive 8-143.

“He could have easily thrown it away, having played and missed a lot early in his innings, but we’ve seen a couple of mature innings from him now early in the competition,” Voges said.

“We hadn’t actually slotted him in to bat three at the start of the tournament, but through injuries and a few other things, he’s got that opportunity and has done really well.

“He’s going from strength to strength.”

The Scorchers will now return to Perth ahead of a mouth-watering clash with reigning champions Brisbane Heat in their annual Boxing Day Blockbuster at Optus Stadium.

“Home for Christmas, which is always nice, and then the traditional Boxing Day fixture at the Furnace, which we’re really looking forward to against the defending champions,” Voges added.

“Obviously, one and two, it hasn’t quite been the start we needed, but we need to start making an impact in this competition, and we’ve got a great opportunity on Boxing Day.”