Brisbane Heat produced an all-round performance to defeat Sydney Sixers in the finals of Big Bash League 13 played at Sydney Cricket Ground on 24th January 2024. Sydney Sixers won the bat flip and decided to field first. Sixers got off to a perfect start as Sean Abbott dismissed Jimmy Peirson caught by Joshua Philippe. Joshua Brown was given a reprieve with a drop chance. At the end of the first four overs, Brisbane Heat made just 16 runs for a loss of 1 wicket.
Brown and captain Nathan McSweeney steadied the ship with attacking shots putting pressure on Sixers bowlers. Brown looked in good touch keeping momentum going for Heat batters and completed his fifty off 32 deliveries. After the break, Dwrashius got a breakthrough dismissing McSweeney with a good catch by Todd Murphy. Brown and McSweeney added 85 runs for the 2nd wicket. Soon after, Steve O Keefe dismissed Brown with a review for LBW. The umpire called not out but on review, it was overturned to out.
Max Bryant showed his class with positive strokes taking the power surge in the 16th over. Bryant and Renshaw hit 18 runs against Sean Abbott while smashed 13 runs against Ben Dwrashius. Sean Abbott broke the partnership getting rid of Bryant. Bryant and Renshaw added 57 runs for the 4th wicket. Abbott took 2 more wickets in the same over getting rid of Paul Walter and Micheal Neser.
Matt Renshaw provided a blitz in the dying overs to help the Brisbane Heat post a competitive total of 166 for 8. For Sydney Sixers, Sean Abbott grabbed 4 for 32 in 4 overs.
Chasing 167 runs to win, it was not an ideal start for the Sixers side as they lost Daniel Hughes with a lovely catch by Renshaw at slips. Jack Edwards and Joshua Phillippe showed intent in putting pressure on the Heat bowlers. Spencer Johnson struck getting rid of Edwards taking an inside edge onto stumps. Edwards and Philippe added 31 runs for the 2nd wicket. With that, the Sixers ended power-play at 34 for 2.
Philippe and captain Moises Henriques struggled against disciplined Heat bowling. Johnson got big wicket of Phillippe caught by Neser. Swepson produced a beauty to get rid of Jordan Silk with a lovey stumping by Peirson.
Brisbane Heat bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals. Sydney Sixers took a power surge in the 12th over but could only score 11 runs and lost 2 big scalps. Heat bowlers never let the Sixers off the hook and bowled them out for 112 in 17.3 overs. For Heat, Spencer Johnson took 4 for 26, Swepson and Barlett took 2 wickets each, and Neser and Walter 1 wicket each.
That champion sound š¶@HeatBBL #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/7Hzxxs0f72
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 24, 2024
Brisbane Heat journey in BBL 13
Brisbane Heat had a brilliant journey in Big Bash 13. They finished at the top of the points table in the league stage with 7 wins, 1 loss, and 2 no results. Heat faced Sydney Sixers in qualifier 1 and lost the match by 39 runs.
They then defeated Adelaide Strikers in the 2nd qualifier thanks to Joshua Brown’s 140 which helped the Heat register a comfortable victory.
For Brisbane Heat, Joshua Brown was the top scorer in the tournament with 366 runs from 9 matches ( 9 innings) with 1 century and 1 half-century at a strike rate of 150.61. As far bowling is concerned, Xavier Barlett finished as the top wicket-taker in BBL 13 with 20 wickets from 11 matches (11 innings) at an economy of 7.20 runs per over including best figures of 3 for 29.
Spencer Johnson also proved his worth with 19 wickets from 11 matches (11 innings) at an economy of 7.05 runs including best figures of 4 for 26 in the finals. Brisbane Heat won the Big Bash League title after a gap of 13 years. They won their last title in 2011.
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