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Time is running out for Brisbane Heat, who are at home against the Sydney Sixers in a crucial Big Bash League clash at the Gabba. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:10pm AEDT.
Having returned from an unsuccessful trek in Perth, the Heat now enter do-or-die mode. Bottom-placed with only two points, only two games remain after this one for the team to move past their poor form and make an unlikely tilt at a finals berth.
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What has failed the Heat this campaign has been the inability of their bowlers to apply any consistent pressure on the opposition. Think of Jacques Kallis and Michael Hussey in the Thunder game, Ben Dunk and Tim Paine for the Hurricanes, Travis Head for the Strikers, or even as recently as Michael Carberry for Perth last Thursday.
The formula is simple – let the opposition batsmen get away, and they have punished the Heat.
The team’s one win came courtesy of a slender one run triumph against the Stars, where the Heat bowlers did limit the opposition batsmen to scores of below 50.
In fact, discounting the win against the Stars, Brisbane have taken only 12 wickets from a possible 40 in their other games – statistics hardly reflecting the ability to stem the run rate.
On this basis, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mitchell Johnson feature for what would likely be his only appearance for the franchise. Whether Australia’s management will allow that is another matter.
On the batting side, the Heat have fared better, striking at better than 100 in each of their five games. Their last start however only earnt them 134, hardly a defendable total when runs have been leaking on the bowling front.
Against the Heat stand a side that have enjoyed a rare commodity in this Big Bash League – rest. The Sixers last engagement was on January 5 in their super over loss against the Stars.
That appears to be the Sixers’ biggest challenge – especially focusing on Brett Lee. While few can discount the batting heroics of James Faulkner, Lee’s trust in his firebrand pace, even at 38, must be shaken.
The Heat batsmen, most notably Chris Lynn and Nathan Reardon, will likely target the speedster as an extra bounty of runs to be had.
The Sixers sit in fourth place – having lost their last two after starting the tournament with three consecutive wins. While the batting collapse in Perth was largely overcome with a solid performance against the Stars, bowlers have in large been performing creditably.
A pace attack of Lee, Abbott and Bollinger are the riches the Sixers can call upon, but more must be required of spinner Luke Doran, who has been largely ineffective.
With both teams in desperate search for form, it may come down to whether either side can call upon any of their Australian contingent now that the Test season has finished.
Seeing the likes of Johnson or Starc feature for their respective sides may be the factor that tilts this game in their favour.
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