BBL 5 Match 18 Review: Brisbane Heat off the mark in wet conditions

Sent into bat in an important Big Bash League clash, the, were in a spot of bother against the home team Brisbane Heat early after Josh Lalor took the big wicket of Jacques Kallis (16). Samuel Badree, who was introduced the following over, the 6thof the innings, made an immediate impact with a beautiful wrong’un deceiving Aiden Blizzard (14) and allowing Jimmy Peirson to complete the stumping. This left the Thunder 2-36 in the sixth over.

A brilliant 97-run stand between Sydney Thunder veterans Shane Watson and Mike Hussey guided their side to 5-186 at the Gabba, however, it didn’t prove enough as the home team’s skipper, Chris Lynn produced yet another special knock. Watson got starts earlier in the competition but didn’t have any substantial contribution. At the Gabba tonight, he finally hit his straps with the bat, blasting five sixes in a brutal knock of 46. Hussey, a man who has at times been relied upon too much as the saviour of this Thunder franchise, played second fiddle to the all-rounder.

When Watson departed Andre Russell picked up where he left off, hammering 20 in 9 balls while Hussey’s run of form continued as he scored 56 after being dropped on the boundary by Jason Floros on 24. Badree was the most economical of the Heat attack, taking 1-26 from his four while Mark Steketee (1-46) paid the price for several no balls.

The Heat run-chase began strongly as Pierson and Lendl Simmons quickly found their range. Pierson hammered 2 boundaries in the first over of the innings bowled by Andre Russell while Simmons got in the act with an edged boundary in the next over. Clint Mckay was spanked for a massive six and a four by Simmons while his partner also hit one four in the same over, the 5th of the innings.

The openers added 72 by the 10^th over before the West Indian was the first to be dismissed by Watson after scoring 34 off 25. Skipper Chris Lynn has been in remarkable form and declared his intention with a massive six over long-on off Fawad Ahmed. Simmons’ opening partner soon followed him after his well made 40 off 36 was ended by Chris Green.

With rain starting to get a touch heavier, the D/L par scores kept making their presence felt on the scoreboard. The home team needed 90 off 42 and Lynn hammered Watson for two fours and one six in the 14th over to bring the equation down to 71 off 6 overs. Russell removed Nathan Reardon in the 15th and conceded just 6 runs to put the pressure on Lynn.

Gurinder Sandhu couldn’t find his footing in the slippery conditions and looked visibly unhappy however the umpires decided to continue the game hoping for the rain to stop at some stage. 3 humongous sixes and a four from the big bat of Lynn, who was also dropped off the 5th ball in the over, turned the game in the home side’s favour. The rain eventually stopped with the Heat being ahead on D/L par score.

Ben Cutting smashed a four in the 17^th over to bring the equation down to 28 off 18. Sandhu continued his miserable outing conceding 18 runs in the next over that sealed the fate of the match. The Heat skipper got another reprieve as Ben Rohrer misjudged a high catch, off the 4^th ball, near the boundary rope and to make matters worse for the Thunder the ball went for a boundary. Lynn was dismissed for a belligerent 75 off 32 balls that included 6 fours and 6 sixes. Cutting remained unbeaten on 17 off 11 as his team overhauled the target with 3 balls to spare to register its first win this season.

Brief scores:

Sydney Thunder: 186/5 in 20 overs (M Hussey 56; S Badree 1/26)

Brisbane Heat: 189/4 in 19.3 overs (C Lynn; A Russell 2/28)

Man of the Match: Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)