Brisbane’s late season surge in direction of the Big Bash finals has continued with final over hero Spencer Johnson securing an exhilarating four-run victory over Melbourne Stars on the Gabba.
Left-arm paceman Johnson bowled the ultimate over of the match for the second time in as many video games, after preserving Hobart’s Tim David quiet on Friday night time in a sensational end.
The Stars wanted 14 off the final however Johnson contained Marcus Stoinis (36no) and Hilton Cartwright (33no) with nerves of metal.
The Heat’s win was arrange by an unbroken 133-run stand by wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson (57no off 43 balls) and English import Sam Hain (73no off 41) who lifted the house aspect to 4-188 batting first.
The last-placed Stars wanted 44 with 14 deliveries to go earlier than Cartwright and Stoinis had been each caught off full tosses that had been accurately dominated over the waist.
The pair walloped sixes and fours to arrange a closing ball showdown. Johnson, enjoying simply his fifth BBL match, unleashed the proper yorker and stored Stoinis quiet.
“I was quite nervous with that one. The other night I had a bit more to play with,” Johnson mentioned.
“Uz (captain Usman Khawaja) has backed me in. He has been great standing at mid-off and keeping me calm.
“Talking to a few of my close mates after the other night they said, ‘Geez, if you can so that to David you can do that to anyone’. That gives me a lot of confidence to do what I just did.”
The Heat, on 13 factors, can now wrap up a top-five finals place with a win over Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on Wednesday.
The desk is that tight the Heat might end as excessive as third or nonetheless miss the finals, relying on outcomes.
“In the dressing room the boys are up and about,” Johnson mentioned.
“We are playing good cricket but once we get the complete game I think we are going to be scary good. I reckon we are definitely a force to be reckoned with.”
Stars opener Tom Rogers smashed 41 off 20 balls to get the guests shifting shortly in pursuit of the Heat’s complete.
Mitchell Swepson (2-23 off 4) was decisive for the Heat together with his correct legspinners pegging again the early momentum.
Earlier, Hain and Peirson got here collectively at 4-55 within the seventh over.
Peirson, enjoying his one hundred and first BBL sport for Brisbane, was pugnacious sq. of the wicket whereas Hain unfurled an unlimited vary of photographs, together with a reverse ramp for six.
England worldwide Luke Wood got here out respiration hearth and brimstone in a fearsome opening spell for the Stars.
He blasted out Josh Brown (4) and Marnus Labuschagne (one) in his opening two overs. Matt Renshaw ran himself out for seven and Khawaja (24) departed earlier than Hain and Peirson took over.
