Twitter Reactions: Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson take Heat through to the Challenger

The Thunder’s journey ended when Heazlett pulled Doggett behind square for a four in the final over as Heat clinched the game by 7 wickets and 5 balls to spare.

By Pratyay Tiwari

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Jimmy Peirson a nd Sam Heazlett
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Jimmy Peirson a nd Sam Heazlett. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Some calculated aggression from Sam Heazlett and Jimmy Peirson in a sensational, match-sealing partnership during the chase led Brisbane Heat to triumph in the Knockout clash against the Sydney Thunder at Canberra. After the Heat inserted Thunder to bat, controlled and disciplined efforts with the ball from Mark Steketee and Mitchell Swepson restricted Thunder to 158/8.

It began with a sedate opening stand between Usman Khwaja and Alex Hales, who both struggled to find their timing. Unable to shift gears, Hales decided to press the accelerator, though, to no avail as he miscued a length delivery from Mark Steketee straight to mid-on. Callum Ferguson walked in to join Usman Khwaja as both batsmen managed to gather some momentum before Marnus Labuschagne ended Khwaja’s 28-run knock, getting the southpaw stumped.

Disciplined bowling curtails Thunder 

Though Ferguson, who hit a couple of fours and a six, found his rhythm, he was guilty of throwing his start as he pulled Morne Morkel straight to Sam Heazlett at deep-square. Despite the loss of three wickets, Sam Billings ensured to drag along from his end, hitting three fours and a six in his 24-ball 34, before depositing a slower one from Ben Laughlin to the fielder at long-on.

Thunder underwent a short collapse as Swepson struck twice in the 15th over, trapping both Alex Ross and Daniel Sams lbw. The Power Surge, which they invoked not any sooner than the penultimate over, started on a disastrous note too, as Steketee removed Chris Green on the first ball, which was followed by Adam Milne’s run out. However, the new man Brendan Doggett struck a couple of boundaries before Cutting (34 from 18) smoked as many sixes in the final over to power Thunder to 158.

Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson guide Heat home

The Heat made a nervy start, losing both the openers cheaply as Daniel Sams knocked over Joe Denly for a five-ball duck, which was soon followed by Chris Lynn’s dismissal, who launched a fuller delivery from Doggett to Hales at mid-off. Not having too much to play with, the bowlers for Thunder did well up until that point, although a run-a-ball 55-run alliance for the third wicket between Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Heazlett, who glued the Heat’s innings, brought the Heat back on track.

Their partnership was broken in the 12th over courtesy of a dramatic run-out dismissal of Labucshagne (32 from 30) when Heat still needed 89 from 48. Although, much to the misfortune of Thunder, Labuschagne’s dismissal did more harm to them as skipper Jimmy Peirson teed off alongside Heazlett, who hit six fours and three sixes in his 74 from 49.

Heazlett smoked a couple of sixes off Sangha in the immediately succeeding over and followed it by another one in the 14th over of Chris Green. He notched up his half-century from 37 deliveries and the 15-run 15th over eased the pressure that was starting to play on the mind of both the batsmen.

Heazlett ripped apart Daniel Sams in the following over, slamming two consecutive fours towards the short third man before hitting another over fine leg. The bowlers, who showed great discipline at the start, were under manifest pressure, losing their lengths and missing the yorkers. Pouncing on the same, Peirson joined the gala soon as he smothered Adam Milne for a six over deep midwicket and followed it by a boundary in the same over.

Heazlett and Peirson’s 44-ball alliance fruited 92 runs for the fourth wicket, 43 of which came from Peirson’s bat. The Thunder’s journey ended when Heazlett pulled Doggett behind square for a four in the final over as Heat clinched the game by 7 wickets and 5 balls to spare.

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BBL 2023-24Brisbane HeatSydney Thunder