The Brisbane Heat’s horror Big Bash has rolled on as repeat misfields, errant throws and a bizarre Marnus Labuschagne gamble cost them any shot at victory against the top-of-the-table Perth Scorchers.
After setting a competitive 6-155, the Heat were their own worst enemy in the eight-wicket loss on Wednesday night with their tactics widely panned by Fox Cricket’s Mark Waugh.
Regarded the worst bowling attack in the competition, the Heat found a positive in debutant Spencer Johnson (0-6 off his first two overs) – a player who excited ex-Aussie paceman Brett Lee.
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MATCH CENTRE: Heat vs Scorchers teams, scorecard, videos, updates
And it was Johnson who put the brakes on Perth early at the Gabba as the visitors sunk to 2-25 in the powerplay with Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie newly at the crease.
But the bizarre gamble to bowl Marnus Labuschagne in the fifth over backfired spectacularly as the Scorchers piled on 20 runs – and effectively turned the match.
“This is a gamble by (Heat captain Usman) Khawaja,” Fox Cricket’s Mark Waugh said.
“I can’t work that out.”
Hardie sent Labuschagne to the rope first ball before Inglis inflicted more pain with a six and back-to-back fours.
“All of a sudden, it’s just taken a bit of heat out of the situation for the Heat,” Waugh said.
“I just don’t see the logic in this one. There was no need to gamble when you had the Scorchers 2-25.
“It’s just changed the whole momentum that over.
“They got handed a gift.”
Fox Cricket’s Brett Lee agreed the momentum had shifted after Labuschagne’s expensive over.
“They had them on toast,” he lamented.
And from there, Inglis (67* off 35) and Hardie (65* off 45) took control, putting on a brilliant unbeaten 132-run stand to get Perth home with more than three overs to spare.
Earlier, despite Usman Khawaja returning as opener it was rookie Josh Brown – recently plucked out of premier cricket – who continued his rich vein of form as he took Scorcher Matt Kelly to task in the opening over.
Fox Cricket’s Brett Lee praised Brown’s attacking mindset as he played a game of “duck, duck, goose” in the early overs, smashing boundaries at will.
“He’s not looking to block anything,” Lee said.
“He’s been a revelation,” commentator Isa Guha added.
But just three balls after Fox Cricket commentators were convinced Jason Behrendorff had Khawaja caught behind – which the Scorchers opted not to review – it was Brown (18 off 13) who was the first to fall in bizarre circumstances.
The ball rolled onto Brown’s stumps after he lost sight of it over his shoulder.
“That’s stiff,” Fox Cricket’s Mark Waugh said.
“It’s gone over his shoulder and spun onto his stumps.
“We thought Usman Khawaja was out caught behind and then Joshua Brown gets very, very unlucky.”
Labuschagne (10 off 9) came and went in his first game of the BBL this tournament, leaving Khawaja and fellow returnee Matt Renshaw at the crease.
At 2-80 at the halfway point, the Heat opted to take their power play but the move backfired immediately as Khawaja (28 off 23 balls) picked out the man out in the deep off Andrew Tye.
“There’s acreage out there! Acreage to spare,” Waugh said.
Tye then produced an absolute classic catch to send Renshaw packing for 27 off 21, with a one-handed screamer at mid on.
“He’s like a polar bear with a salmon!” Lee praised.
“That’s a ripper.”
Jimmy Peirson was caught out on the boundary by Agar on 17, but was given a reprieve with the beamer deemed a no ball due to height.
Max Bryant was then caught by Ashton Turner on that free hit as the drama rolled on.
A quick bat change by Bryant paid off immediately as he launched Tye for six, but he fell for 36 off 26 on the first ball of the final over.
Matt Kelly was then on a hat-trick in the final over after he bowled Ross Whiteley for a golden duck.
“He was absolutely bamboozled!” Lee praised.
“It’s gone straight onto the stumps. Good night.”
Whiteley did hang around, indicating he wanted umpires to check the full toss height in a move Mark Waugh wasn’t impressed with.
“How can you check it? He was bowled. It doesn’t matter (about height), it’s bowled him,” he said.
The Heat finished their 20 overs with 6-155.
Strikers too silky for Renegades | 02:51
TEAMS
Heat: Xavier Bartlett, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja (c), Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Matt Renshaw, Ross Whiteley
Scorchers: Ashton Agar, Cam Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Stephen Eskinazi, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Kelly, Ashton Turner (c), Andrew Tye
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