the Brisbane Heat win! Oh my word! Loopy full toss outside off and Ellis cannot strike it the way he wants. Drills it straight to the fielder at mid off and that is just a single. That ought to have been dumped into the stands, but instead, it was scuffed. Heartbreak for the Hurricanes; pure joy for the Heat! And to top it all off, they get Dooley run out at the batter's end as he tried to pinch a non-existent second run!
Heat vs Hurricanes, 29th Match at Brisbane, BBL 2023, Jan 07 2024 - Match Result
9:50pm A game that ebbed, flowed and ultimately ended in the Brisbane Heat's favour - a sort of game that both teams might look back on as defining, irrespective of what further twists and turns their campaign takes. Hope you enjoyed our coverage just as much as we loved bringing it to you. Until next time, this is goodbye from Vairavan and me (Shashwat). Take care, folks!
Xavier Bartlett, Player of the Match: It was an unbelievable game. The crowd here was unbelievable, the loudest it has been. We were just trying to take wickets. Any of their top seven batters could have won the game, hence wickets were the key. (On the hat-trick ball) It is a funny one. You are trying to bowl your best ball. Good to contribute to a win tonight. (On the conditions) There was some swing out there. The drizzle quickened up the wicket.
9:43pm Phew. What a game that was. Nikhil Chaudhary, playing his debut season in the BBL, almost pulled off the unthinkable for the Hurricanes. When he walked in, the visitors were tottering at 22-4. Chaudhary, though, fought fire with fire, putting pressure on the bowlers whenever he could. He kept at it once David departed but right at the end, he perished, leaving the Hurricanes with five to get off three balls. Ellis and Dooley could only combine for three runs off those three balls, meaning that the Heat ultimately got past the finish line.
The Brisbane Heat will be pleased with how they bowled, and how they responded to pressure. Their new-ball bowling was just exceptional, and it rocked the Hurricanes early. There was a phase where David and Chaudhary got on top of them, but they roared back right at the death, defending 35 off the last four overs, despite David and Chaudhary being at the crease. Bartlett was superb, as was Johnson. Neser and Kuhnemann also bowled tidily, while Walter did just enough to prevent the Hurricanes from making it three wins out of three.
A few words between Dooley and Walter because the former thought Walter got in his way while running. Three needed off the final ball. Two for a tie
full and wide outside off. Dooley thumps it straight back at the bowler, who gets something behind it and keeps it down to a single
The fine leg boundary is very short. Is a scoop on the cards?
off-pace on a length on middle and leg. Ellis dabs it to short third man and is happy with getting Dooley on strike
Captain Ellis walks out. The Hurricanes need 5 off 3. Mid off, extra cover, backward point and short third man in the ring
Chaudhary miscues, and Billings takes it! Another twist to this mad, mad game! Banged in short, and Chaudhary's eyes light up. He tries to smoke it over cow corner but because of Walter's height, the ball gets awfully big on him. Skews off the splice and Billings runs back to take the catch. What a knock this has been, but now, someone else will have to take the Hurricanes past the finish line!
full just outside off. Chaudhary gives himself ample room and lofts it over mid off for a couple of runs. Chaudhary will be disappointed - that was right in his slot
Vinod Rajpal: "This will be a TIE....mark my words !"
right out of the screws, oh my goodness! Back of a length on leg stump. Chaudhary picks the slower one, winds up and crunches it over the long deep square leg boundary. Brings up his fifty too, and what a time to do it!
The Hurricanes still need 13, and looks like Chaudhary will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Walter to bowl the final over. Around the wicket to Chaudhary - here e go!
goes straight up, and Johnson has two in the over! Hard length outside off, and Jordan continues swinging like a rusty gate. No prizes for guessing that he miscues it and the ball pops up for Johnson to complete the simplest of return catches!
back of a length on middle and off. Zips through and Jordan, who swings his bat like an axe, only has a fresh-air shot. Jordan might hurt his back swinging that hard...
just evades Billings! Dug into the track on leg stump. Jordan is cramped for room and gloves his attempted pull stroke. Floats up and from a Heat perspective, falls agonizingly beyond Billings, who was diving full-stretch to his left!
Jordan joins Chaudhary
skies it, and Johnson gets the big fish! Back of a length delivery angled across the batter outside off. David tries to smash it into next week but loses his shape. Hacks across it and the ball loops up to Walter at short third man. Johnson is pumped; David not best pleased with what transpired!
hard length on leg stump. Gets big on Chaudhary and he splices it on the bounce to mid on. Has to scramble across for the single and gets there with a dive. Might have been interesting had the fielder hit the stumps
Johnson looks at his field mid-way through his run-up and then pulls away. We go again...
Chaudhary lands the first blow! In the slot on middle and off. Chaudhary gets his front foot out of the way and bludgeons it over the bowler's head!
20 off 12. Johnson to bowl the penultimate over. These six balls could be massive. Chaudhary on strike. A bit of history between this pair today too. Expect plenty of drama...
another slower yorker that chases the batter outside leg. Chaudhary digs it out towards extra cover and has to settle for a single
just short! Slower delivery that sits up to be hit outside off. David, though, nearly hits it straight to short fine. Falls just in front, and that is a lucky escape
slower yorker that follows the batter outside leg. Chaudhary drives it to mid on and gets across to the other end
four more! Dug into the track outside off. Chaudhary backs away and swings at it with abandon. Thick outside edge and it hurtles over short third man's head!
off-pace on a full length on off stump. David swings too hard and tugs it off the inside edge into his pads. Trickles away far enough from the pitch to allow a single
four off the first ball! Juicy full toss on off stump. David backs away and slams it over extra cover!
Right. This is getting tense now. 32 off 18. Here is the Power Surge. Bartlett to bowl. Who are you backing?
hard length on off. David clears his front leg and hacks it to deep mid wicket
length on leg stump. Chaudhary gets inside the line and whips it away towards fine leg. Just a single. Seems like David was the one who said no to the second
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane | |
Toss | Hobart Hurricanes, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2023/24 |
Player Of The Match | |
Match days | 07 January 2024 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Brisbane Heat 2, Hobart Hurricanes 0 |
Over 16 • HH 116/9