Alex Carey has once again proven he can do it all, returning from the Ashes to star for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, albeit in a 32-run loss to a Mitch Marsh-led Perth Scorchers.

Carey top-scored for his Strikers with 71 off just 39 balls at the Adelaide Oval in his first game back in the BBL, while also trying his best to comfort his daughter on the field.

The wicketkeeper-batter returned to his home patch, where he scored 178 runs in the Ashes-clinching third Test, and was greeted by his two children as his team jogged onto the field.

An excited Carey ran to Louis and Clementine with his arms outstretched and embraced them in a big hug before it became clear his daughter was struggling a little after the pre-game pyrotechnics.

"I miss my mummy," she was heard saying through Carey's microphone.

Trying to comfort her as she fought through tears, Carey replied: "You miss your mummy? You get to see me, though.

"You'll go see mummy soon. Give me a cuddle. I love you, sweetie."

He gave a hug and a kiss to his slightly more relaxed eight-year-old son, saying: "How good's this? This'll be you one day."

Once the game started, Carey also may have been seeking some comfort in the stands as he watched from behind the stumps while Perth openers Marsh (88 off 51) and Finn Allen (38 off 16) peeled off 81 runs inside five overs.

Leg spinner Lloyd Pope removed Allen and Cooper Connolly in successive deliveries, but the rest of the Scorchers were almost unstoppable.

Captain Marsh clattered six fours and seven sixes in his powerful knock, with Josh Inglis (42 off 23), Aaron Hardie (34* off 22) and Ashton Turner (20* off 8) keeping the run rate high as the Scorchers notched 4-232 off 20 overs.

Adelaide threatened to pull off a remarkable victory on reaching 2-139 after 12 overs thanks to Carey's half-century as part of a 93-run opening stand with captain Matt Short (52 off 31).

But a superb second over from debutant spinner Luke Holt, who conceded just four runs in the 13th over of the innings, helped turn the tide.

An increasingly desperate Adelaide lost 6-14 as the wheels fell off, and finished on 8-200.

Carey's was the second wicket in that collapse, with the wicketkeeper well caught by a diving Turner off Mahli Beardman in the 16th over.

Ashton Turner made a point of showing how fair his catch of Carey was after his controversy days earlier against the Renegades. (Getty Images: Mark Brake/Cricket Australia)

English paceman David Payne cashed in to finish with 3-35 from four overs, while Connolly (1-24 off three), Holt (0-18 off two) and Beardman (2-43 off four) played important roles.

Holt bowled two half-trackers to start his BBL career, and they were dispatched for a four and a six by Short, but rebounded brilliantly from there.

"He did well to go for 10 off his first two. It should have been 12," Marsh joked to Fox Cricket when asked about Holt's horror start.

"That was amazing, the way he came back. You could tell he was nervous.

"He's worked extremely hard over the last four or five years. He's balanced work and study to try to get a crack at the Big Bash and to play for the Scorchers.

"He was in the fight, and really happy for him."

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