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BRISBANE: Max Bryant’s 48* off 26 balls powered Brisbane Heat to a four-wicket victory over Melbourne Stars as pacer Haris Rauf failed to defend 10 in the final over in the 20th fixture of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15.
Heat chased down the stiff 196 on the fourth ball of the final over, losing six wickets in the process.
The win also ended Melbourne Stars’ winning streak and moved Heat to fourth on the points table.
Jack Wildermuth and Colin Munro added 18 for the opening wicket before both fell in a span of two overs, which reduced their side to 34-2 in 4.1 overs.
The former was caught for 15 while the latter could only add three to the total.
After an early hiccup, skipper Nathan McSweeney and the leading run scorer of the tournament, Matt Renshaw, forged a 69-run partnership to put the chase back on track.
However, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Swepson removed both batters in back-to-back overs to dent the Heat’s progress. McSweeney departed for 43 while Renshaw hit four boundaries and a six in his 41 from 27 balls.
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Eventually, it was Xavier Bartlett’s and Max Bryant’s stand-off 66* that took them to a thrilling victory.
With 76 required of the last five, Bryant notably shifted the momentum in the Heat’s favour. He took Haris Rauf, Siddle, and Swepson to the cleaners, leaving the equation 10 required in the final over.
Haris bowled two decent first deliveries, which went for a single and a double, but Bryant hit a six and four to seal victory for his side.
For Melbourne Stars, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Swepson picked up two wickets each.
Earlier, sent in to bat first, Melbourne Stars racked up 195-6 at the end of their 20 overs, as skipper Marcus Stoinis led the way with a calculated knock.
Sam Harper (37) and Thomas Rogers (13) provided a strong start with a 52-run partnership before both of the batters were dismissed in quick succession.
After the double, Stoinis held the innings together with a string of partnerships that stabilized their innings. The skipper made 43 off 35 with the aid of five fours and a six.
But it was debutant Blake Macdonald’s whirlwind knock that propelled Stars to a strong total.
The right-hander hit 37* off just 12 balls, which included two sixes and four boundaries.
For Brisbane Heat, Thomas Balkin picked up two wickets.
