SYDNEY: Josh Brown’s half-century, followed by Spencer Johnson’s four-fer, steered Brisbane Heat to the Big Bash League (BBL) title victory with a thumping 54-run victory over Sydney Sixers.
Put into bat first, the Sixers registered a commendable total of 166/8 in the allotted 20 overs, courtesy of a brisk fifty at the top by Brown.
The Heat had a shaky start to their innings as their opener Jimmy Peirson (4) perished in the first over with just five runs on the board.
Skipper Nathan McSweeney then joined Brown in the middle, and they soon put the Heat in a comfortable position.
The pair added 85 runs for the second wicket before both perished in successive overs, bringing the Heat down to 90/3 in 12.2 overs.
McSweeney scored a cautious 33 while Brown smashed five boundaries and three sixes on his way to top score for the Heat with a 38-ball 53.
But runs kept coming for the Heat as Max Bryant and Matt Renshaw stitched an important 57-run partnership, stretched till the penultimate over.
Sean Abbott pulled things back for the Sixers with a sensational 19th over as he picked up three wickets, including that of Bryant, who scored a 19-ball 29, laced up with one boundary and two sixes.
Renshaw, on the other hand, perished on the final delivery of the innings. He scored a quickfire 40 off just 22 balls.
Sean Abbott led the bowling attack for the Sixers with 4/32 while Steve O’Keefe and Dwarshuis made one scalp each.
In return, the Sixers’ batting lineup folded on a mere 112 runs in 17.4 overs.
The home side batters appeared clueless against the Johnson-led Heat bowling attack and only five of them made it into the double figures.
Captain Moises Henriques (25) remained the top-scorer for the Heat in the BBL final, followed by Josh Philippe, who scored 23.
For the Heat, Spencer Johnson bagged four wickets while Xavier Bartlett and Mitchell Swepson claimed two wickets apiece.
It is worth mentioning here that this was Brisbane Heat’s second BBL title victory. They last won the prestigious title in the second edition of the league.
