An on-fire Brisbane Heat will play host to the Perth Scorchers tonight as they look to jump up into equal first with a big win against the league leaders on the road. Join The Roar from 7:40pm (AEDT) for all the live scores, highlights and action.
While the Heat have relied on big hitting sensation Chris Lynn for much of the tournament, having hit three 50s from five innings and sitting at the top of the run-scoring list for the competition, they’ll be without him for tonight’s clash.
Lynn has been taken away to the Australian ODI squad to take on Pakistan, leaving the Heat with a massive hole in their batting line up.
Brisbane still have former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum to cause some damage, but the Heat will need to find a way to go big without their main strike weapon.
After a shock first loss to the Sydney Sixers, the Heat bounced back with a dominant win in their last game, over none other than tonight’s opponents, the Perth Scorchers.
An unbeaten 148-run partnership from Lynn and McCullum off just 73 balls guided Brisbane to a huge win over a hapless Scorchers side who had five bowlers finish with economy rates over 10 runs an over.
While the Scorchers may be sitting back down in fourth, the nature of this year’s competition means that they’re one big, albeit very big, win away from skipping past the Stars, Sixers and even the Heat into top spot.
Their last game was also the aforementioned defeat to the Heat last Thursday, meaning they’re coming into this one off a loss to the same team and very little game time, with just two games played this year.
Mitch Marsh has shown some of the short form cricket exploits that got him named in the ICC ODI side of the year, recently, leading the run-scoring for the Scorchers with a pretty respectable average of 70.
Prediction
Both sides are in odd periods at the moment. Neither have played much cricket in the new year and the Heat have lost some of the strike power, while the Scorchers are struggling to find consistency in an up and down season for the two-time champs.
Brisbane have found so much success this season because they’ve been able to back up their insane batting with strong and consistent bowling, something the Scorchers have done all too sparingly.
Especially at home, the Heat will be hard to be tonight.
Brisbane to win by 22 runs or 5 wickets.
Join The Roar from 7:40pm (AEDT) for all the live scores, highlights and action.
Matthew
Guest
So Connor, With the prediction before the game, do you feel that there may need to be two predictions now. A Prediction with Lynn in the team, and a prediction of Lynn not in the team?
Connor Bennett
Editor
Andrew Tye picked up only the second hat-trick in BBL history tonight.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Getting their lowest total of the season without their top scorer might be a bit of a sign.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Perth Scorchers win by 27 runs A massive win in the context of, well, everything that is BBL06 at the moment. Brisbane are no longer the unstoppable at the top of the standings, with the Scorchers actually jumping up three spots into first place on net run rate. There are three teams on 8 points at the top, with the Stars just one game behind on 6. The rest are all on four as the battle for finals spots continues to heat up
Connor Bennett
Editor
Josh
Expert
It may be a wild hot take, but Chris Lynn is a fairly big out for the Heat...
Connor Bennett
Editor
END OF INNINGS From the third ball of the innings when Mitch Johnson knocked over Jimmy Peirson, the Heat looked lost in their chase. Continual wickets, poor running and rash shot selection all cost them early in the innings and it came back to bite them late when they needed to many too late. A typically superb defensive bowling performance from the Scorchers who have become the king of defending any kind of total. Tye finished with 4/22, including a hat-trick to finish the game to compliment a big innings of 81 from skipper Michael Klinger. HEA all out128 (Target 157)
Connor Bennett
Editor
19.2 HE'S GOT IT!!! HAT-TRICK FOR ANDREW TYE!! OUT!! M Steketee b Tye 3 (3) It doesn't even look like he's picked up on it yet. Steketee moved over to the leg side and a few steps down the wicket. Tye nails the perfect line and length, taking the top of off to not only take a hat-trick, but finish the game for the Scorchers. HEA all out128 (Target 157)
Connor Bennett
Editor
Tye is actually on a hat-trick here, having taken a wicket off the last ball of his last over, the 18th.
Connor Bennett
Editor
19.1 Andrew Tye will bowl the final over of the innings. OUT!! M Swepson c Bresnan b Tye 2 (3) Full and wide from Tye and Swepson tried to open up the stance and go big... but unfortunately for Brisbane he's gone home instead. He sliced over backward point but Bresnan was there to pouch it. HEA 9/128 (Target 157)
XI
Roar Guru
They're reporting that McCullum has been suspended a match for slow over rates. The Heat are already planning on appealing.
Connor Bennett
Editor
One over to come. The Heat need 28 runs from 6 balls.
Connor Bennett
Editor
18.5 Steketee charges down the wicket to Richardson who pitches up and wide. Steketee gets to it on the full and slices square over point through the off side. They run hard and come back for a third. HEA 8/128 (Target 157)
Connor Bennett
Editor
18.3 Mark Steketee and Mitch Swepson are the two new men at the crease. Neither have faced a ball. HEA 8/125 (Target 157)
Connor Bennett
Editor
18.2 OUT!! A Ross c Turner b Richardson 39 (40) He went for the exact same spot and same result, but he didn't get all of this one and he holes out to Ashton Turner on the deep square leg boundary. Surely Brisbane are done from here. HEA 8/124 (Target 157)
Paul D
Roar Guru
Lost count of how many times a player has gotten out tonight straight after mullering a boundary
Connor Bennett
Editor
18.1 SIX!!! A big hit from Alex Ross and how much do Brisbane need a few of those!! Richardson pitched up on off and Ross just clears the front leg, hammering it with pure muscle through the leg side, clearing the ropes in front of square. HEA 7/124 (Target 157)
Connor Bennett
Editor
17.6 OUT!! J Wildermuth c Bancroft b Tye 6 (10) Tye was playing games with Wildermuth that over and the poor batsman had no idea what to do. Tye went full and wide on the slower ball outside off. Wildermuth cleared the front leg and went for cow corner but he was beaten for lack of pace and edged it straight to the keeper Cam Bancroft. HEA 7/118 (Target 157)
Paul D
Roar Guru
The ground announcer here is a deadset idiot with a tin ear. Keeps blasting out announcements for the crowd to make some noise as Ross and Wildemuth flail aimlessly at Tye with swing and a miss after swing and a miss. Maybe they'd make noise if they'd hit a boundary Thousands of people just got up and made for the exits after that Tye over.
Connor Bennett
Editor
17.5 Short ball again and Wildermuth gets a bottom edge into the turf and straight to the keeper. Tye is all over Wildermuth in this over. HEA 6/118 (Target 157)