BBL: Brisbane Heat season still alive thanks to Renshaw’s heroics

In order to keep their KFC BBL|12 playoffs hopes alive, the Brisbane Heat defeated the Melbourne Stars by three wickets thanks to Matt Renshaw’s outstanding boundary off the final ball.

At the MCG on Monday night, the visitors, who were chasing 160 for the win, stumbled and surged many times before hitting their objective.

Renshaw, who top-scored with an unbroken 90 off 56 deliveries for a total of 7-160, won the game.

The Heat benefitted from the Stars being restricted to four men outside the circle due to a slow over rate as they needed nine off the last over.

When he started the 20th over with a wide, Beau Webster furthered their cause.

However, the Heat still required four runs off the final pitch, and Renshaw came through by scooping Webster’s pitch over the infield to the rope.

Clint Hinchliffe dropped Renshaw on 47 after misjudging the ball’s trajectory in the deep, which provided him with a chance to recover.

The Stars also failed to run out Renshaw on 63 when, following a mix-up with Jimmy Peirson, Adam Zampa was unable to catch Nathan Coulter-throw Nile’s with the batter well short of his ground.

Prior to Renshaw leading his team home with the tailenders, their 83-run partnership (22 from 18) proved crucial.

Six fours and four sixes were featured in Renshaw’s innings Big Bash League 2023.

Usman Khawaja (14) and Marnus Labuschagne (six) failed to do well with the bat in a Test match, but Brisbane still won.

The Heat’s record now stands at 4-6-1, while the Stars (3-9) remain in last place on the ladder and are eliminated from contention for the finals.

Prior to it, Nick Larkin led the Stars in scoring with 58 points from 36 deliveries for a total of 7-159.

With fielding limits in effect, Michael Neser (4-25) excelled for the Heat during the Powerplay and Power Surge, getting 3-11 from his three overs.

But before Neser, the Test fast, had exacted justice by removing the Stars hitter, Larkin scored 14 runs off the first four deliveries of his final over, the last of the innings.

For the Stars, Webster (36 off 34), Tom Rogers (26 off 23), and James Seymour (13 off 6), whose brief inning featured two sixes, all contributed to considerable damage.

In the 16th over, Neser took consecutive wickets of Webster and Coulter-Nile, but he was unable to complete his second hat-trick of the year.

Marcus Stoinis, a prominent all-rounder for the Stars, missed his fourth straight game due to a hamstring ailment.

After pulling up sore from a fitness test, Stoinis was named to the extended squad but was left off the final roster.

KFC BBL|12

Pos.			P	W	L	T	NR	RR	Pts
1		Perth Scorchers	14	11	3	0	0	1.205	22
2		Sydney Sixers	14	10	3	0	1	0.846	21
3		Melbourne Renegades	14	7	7	0	0	-0.027	14
4		Sydney Thunder	14	7	7	0	0	-0.716	14
5		Brisbane Heat	14	6	7	0	1	-0.483	13
6		Hobart Hurricanes	14	6	8	0	0	-0.34	12
7		Adelaide Strikers	14	5	9	0	0	-0.151	10
8		Melbourne Stars	14	3	11	0	0	-0.287	6

Stoinis was named in the extended squad but was not included in the final team after pulling up sore following a fitness test