The Brisbane Heat beat the Sydney Thunder in the final over at The Gabba last night to make it two wins from three to start BBL07. Here are my five main takeaways.
1. Heat scramble home in rain-affected game
A late cameo from Alex Ross helped the Heat scramble over the line with a ball to spare against the Sydney Thunder.
The match was reduced to a 17-over affair after an early rain delay, with the Heat managing to overcome the target of 151 in 17 overs for the loss of four wickets.
Ross’s 26 not out from nine balls, combined with Joe Burns’ 51 not out, edged the Heat over the line after requiring 40 from 23 balls when the pair got together.
Earlier in the night, Shane Watson continued his imperious form, belting 56 from 34 balls to help propel his side towards a competitive score.
The win gives the Heat two victories from their opening three games, while the Thunder have dropped two straight since their opening night victory over the Sixers.
2. Burns does it again
Burns has been one of the most underrated contributors in the BBL in the past 12 months as he propelled the Heat to another win with a crucial middle order contribution.
The Queenslander once again batted intelligently, using the vast expanses of the long side of the field to scramble for twos, while also being able to clear the ropes with some lusty blows by staying deep in his crease.
Burns has a very tidy record with the Heat considering he often comes in with less then ten overs to go, meaning his average will naturally suffer. Yet, he averages 28 from 50 T20 games, and while his strike rate of 123 isn’t dynamic, it is more than good enough for a team containing the likes of Brendon McCullum, Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting.
3. Lack of batting depth limits Thunder
This was a much improved batting display from the Thunder compared to their opening two games against the Sixers and Strikers. Jos Buttler looked better without fully getting going, while Callum Ferguson makes a big difference to the class of their middle order coming in at four.
Initially I was a bit critical of Ferguson, given he only scored 13 from his first 13 balls in a rain reduced game. However, it’s clear the Thunder have limitations in their order.
With Arjun Nair coming in at six the Thunder cannot afford to be as gung-ho as sides like the Heat or Stars who possess batsmen far greater depth.
Ferguson finished with 37 from 26 balls, while Ben Rohrer chipped in with a handy innings towards the end to propel them to a respectable score of 4/149 from their 17 overs.
The Thunder’s batting powerplay remains a problem, with the side only averaging six runs per over in the early overs.
4. LynnSanity back in action
While his innings might have been fleeting, his 25 from nine balls changed the momentum of the game after the early dismissal of McCullum.
Lynn didn’t afford himself any sighters in his return from injury, crashing his first ball over cover for four before picking up a pull shot and depositing it for another maximum from just his third ball.
The big-hitter has a pretty simple technique in that he stays back in his crease and stays leg side of the ball in order to get as much leverage as possible to get under the ball. He has said he finds it easier to hit sixes than fours, and that comes across in his technique.
Lynn still looked very ginger in the field as he returns from shoulder surgery, and will need more than a few nice 20s to convince Australian selectors he should a part of the 50-over series against England starting on 14 January.
5. Rohrer blow a scary sight
I hate to say it, but it’s only a matter of time before a bowler, umpire, or as was the case with Ben Rohrer, a non-striking batsman, cops a serious injury from a returning missile.
Ferguson’s flat-batted smash cannoned into Rohrer, and the result could have been far, far worse than a bruised collarbone. With the size of the bats these days, and the force these modern day batsman hit, it could lead to a catastrophic injury.
All umpires should be wearing helmets these days. Fast bowlers obviously can’t wear helmets, however I worry about some of them given their long follow-through and the fact their heads come up just in time to see a ball careering towards them.
Cricket NSW made it mandatory for all their coaches to wear helmets when giving throw downs to NSW players this season, in a growing sign of how hard these balls are travelling back towards their destination.
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