Brisbane Heat Takes Win over Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League

The Brisbane Heat have Alex Ross and Joe Burns to thanks for their win over the Sydney Thunder as the two got the team across the line with an exciting run-chase at the Gabba.

Brisbane were all ready to take the win thanks to Duckworth-Lewis and his off 17 overs after a delay due to rain during Sydney’s innings. This equated to 40 off 23 balls after Alex Ross joined Joe Burns, who twenty-five not outs from nine balls. For his part, Burns had forty not out’s from thirty-five balls to bring the win home. Yet, it was Ross who scored the runs that secured the win after the Thunders Aiden Blizzard dropped the catch with only one ball left to go.

Shane Watson, the Captain of the Sydney Thunder did everything he could with ball, bat and field to help give the Thunder a fighting chance. Watson managed to score 56 runs from 34, yet for all his efforts, it was not enough.

Sydney has failed to be productive in their power plays so far in the tournament. While only losing a single wicket in the last two games, they only managed to score a single run-a-ball. Kurtis Patterson and Jos Buttler seemed to have a tough go finding their timing and the two only scored 2 boundaries in 24 balls. After the rain cleared, Team Captain for the Thunder, Shane Watson joined the game. Watson immediately got busy and jumped on two loose balls to get back-to-back boundaries.

Watson then went nailed two blows over the midwicket in the 8th to against Mitch Swepson and his 2nd fifty came in just twenty-five balls. Unfortunately, Watson was dismissed after being a metre short of the long boundary down the ground thanks to Shadab Khan, a legspinner in his final game of the season. The game seemed at a standstill until Lynn, who hasn’t played since May, hit the field and turned Mitchell McClenaghan upside down shortly after Brendon McCullum was deceived by a slow ball. For two fours and a six with three wides that were forced, Lynn crushed McClenaghan. Yet it is not surprising as bowling to Lynn, however, with few margins for errors and this was proven when the Captain hit the first ball to the throat of the midwicket.

Cutting was sent in before Ross by Brisbane to size things up however Cutting only was able to hit 3 of 5 balls. Ross then needs a 10 and over for the final four and with the rate inching upwards at the end of every over, Ross managed to correct things thanks to a boundary as the 14th inning came to a close. The next two innings saw Ross hit McClenaghan and Ahmed into the stands, and Fekete only had nine to play in the final over. For his part, Burns scored a massive six over to put an end to the Thunders hopes of a win, and giving cricket bettors who favored The Heat a perfect ending.