Heat will now depart for Perth tomorrow in order to face the fearsome Scorchers team, who are vying for a record fifth BBL championship, on Saturday.
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Brisbane Heat won an amazing low-scoring thriller against Sydney Sixers on Thursday, winning by four wickets to book a final-round match against Perth Scorchers in the ongoing Big Bash League. Sixers nearly pulled off a miraculous win as they reduced Heat to 56/5 at the halfway point, with only 117 needing to win. However, Michael Nesser led the Heat’s run chase as the team eventually rebounded from the early blows and won in 18.2 overs. Nesser finished unbeaten on 48 off 32 balls, including seven boundaries.
What drew the most attention, though, was an embarrassing brain fade incident involving the third umpire, which caused a brief lapse in the proceedings. During the Sixers’ innings, Josh Philippe was facing Matt Kuknemann when the event occurred. Philippe attempted a sweep against the opening delivery of the seventh over but failed to connect, and the ball was retrieved by the wicketkeeper.
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Jimmy Peirson, the Heat’s wicketkeeper, immediately launched into a loud caught-behind appeal, but the on-field umpire ruled it not out. However, the Heat chose to review the play, and when they looked at the replays, it was clear that the ball had brushed Philippe’s gloves on its way to the wicketkeeper. The third-umpire instructed the on-field official to stick with their judgement despite the spike on the Snickometer as the ball passed near the gloves.
Pierson, who wasn’t pleased with the decision, kept the ball, causing the third umpire to be consulted once more. The third umpire realised his error and changed his ruling after Philippe was caught behind for 16 in the same amount of balls. With Michael Neser maintaining his composure to defeat the Sydney Sixers in a tight, low-scoring thriller at the SCG, the undermanned Brisbane Heat advance to their second KFC BBL Final. After the Heat decided to bat first in the Challenger final and held the Sixers to 9-116, Matt Kuhnemann, who filled in for the injured Australian leggie Mitchell Swepson who is sent to India, was the match-winner with the ball.
With the chase failing after 15 overs at 6-86 with 31 still needed, the Heat’s top and middle order collapsed without the class of their Test trio Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Matthew Renshaw. However, it was at that crucial moment—when the Sixers appeared to be pulling ahead—that the seasoned Neser made the decisive difference, scoring four straight goals in the second over of the Power Surge. The Heat won by four wickets with 10 balls remaining thanks in large part to Neser’s undefeated 48 off 32 deliveries, which was also his highest T20 total.
They will now depart for Perth tomorrow in order to face the fearsome Scorchers team, who are vying for a record fifth BBL championship, on Saturday. The Heat batters were having a difficult time prior to Neser’s startling Power Surge onslaught as Steve O’Keefe and Izharulhaq Naveed (2-28) took advantage of favourable spinning circumstances. When Brown (20) edged behind Josh Philippe of Ben Dwarshuis, Heazlett (13) was run out while attempting a single on an overthrow. After the ball clipped the stump but failed to remove the bails, Labuschagne’s replacement Nathan McSweeney became uneasy, and two deliveries later, as the Heat fell to 3-41, he feathered a ball to Philippe.
