Brisbane Heat thumped Sydney Sixers by 54 runs in the Big Bash League (BBL) on Wednesday to clinch their second title. Spencer Johnson bagged a career-best 4/26 as the Heat successfully defended 167 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The Sixers were bowled out for 112 in front of their home fans with 15 balls left to play. During the Sixers chase, Australia pacer Michael Neser caught everyone’s attention with his stunning fielding attempt in the deep. The incident happened in the 18th over when Sean Abbott was batting.
Abbott skied Xavier Bartlett’s delivery straight down to long-on. With the ball destined to go for a boundary, Neser kept his composure and took the catch.
However, the momentum saw him loose his footings. But he showed great awareness to pass the ball back to Paul Walter, who too had made a short run from long-off.
Walter made no mistake. After a short third umpire check, Neser and Walter’s combined effort was deemed legal.
HE’S DONE IT AGAIN!
Michael Neser – you absolute superstar. #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/yHxvNLCrwv
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 24, 2024
Coming back to the match, The Heat, led by Brown’s prodigious hitting and Matt Renshaw’s 40 off 22 balls, set up a competitive total batting first.
Brown, who hammered 12 sixes in his rollicking 140 to propel the Heat into the final, clubbed three sixes and five fours in his half-century before he was out lbw to veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe.
Renshaw played a key cameo in his quickfire knock with the powerplay proving to be expensive for the Sixers, as they conceded 31 runs off it.
But Sydney came back strongly as paceman Sean Abbott picked three wickets in his final over to end with four for 32.
O’Keefe, 39, playing in his final match for the Sixers, finished with 99 BBL career wickets, bowling tidily to deliver figures of 1-26 off four overs.
But it was no contest as the Heat’s quality set of bowlers demolished the Sixers before their Sydney fans with Johnson’s four wickets, backed by leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson’s two for 19 and Xavier Bartlett’s two for 12.
Skipper Moises Henriques top-scored with 25 off 27 balls for the Sixers and wicketkeeper Josh Philippe chipped in with 23 (22).
The Heat’s Michael Neser participated in the catch of the final when he caught Sean Abbott (16) at long-on and managed to somehow flick the ball up to his teammate Paul Walter before he fell over the boundary rope to effect the catch.
“The catch was almost a reflex thing. I knew I was close but not that close to the boundary,” Neser said.
“It’s a huge win for the group. We’ve put in a lot of work after the loss in the final last year. I feel we’ve been the most consistent team.”
The Sixers were never able to string together any substantial partnerships and the match was effectively over midway through their innings.
(With AFP Inputs)
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