The most costly dropped catches of the Big Bash season, followed by a batting gamble that backfired, have sentenced the Brisbane Heat to a sudden-death Challenger final because Sydney Sixers hero Moises Henriques tormented them.
The Sixers beat the Heat by 39 runs to advance to a home final at the SCG after a five-wicket haul from Ben Dwarshuis and a captain’s knock from Moises Henriques on the Gold Coast.
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The Heat were bowled out 113 from 17.5 overs in reply to the Sydney Sixers’ 8-152 in the Qualifier, with Dwarshuis finishing with figures of 5-21.
Henriques was dropped on 20 and 21 in the same Michael Neser over when his dismissal might have reduced the Sixers to uncompetitive fodder on a testing, inconsistent pitch on the Gold Coast last night.
Instead, Henriques was again the star of a Sixers surge into a BBL final.
He made the Heat pay dearly with a fine 59 off 50 balls, including three clubbed sixes, to push his side to a disjointed but competitive total.
It was the only half-century of the Qualifier because no Heat batsman topped Jimmy Peirson’s 26 as the regular season pacesetters collapsed.
Sixers all-rounder Jack Edwards was in everything. He smoked three quick fours opening, claimed two wickets with the new ball and his right-hand grab caught-and-bowled off a heavily-struck Spencer Johnson drive was one of the catches of the season.
DROPPED CATCHES
The Sixers had reached an unconvincing 2-63 after 10 overs when Neser’s 11th became the turning point.
Keeper Peirson was standing less deep off Neser than normal with the ball flying inconsistently.
An Henriques scoop burst high through his left glove down the legside.
In the same over, Matt Renshaw spilt a catch at wide mid-wicket.
“Two drops in the over, how costly will that be from the Heat?” Fox Cricket’s Mark Howard said.
Adam Gilchrist added: “That is a big over, let’s remember that over the 11th of the Sixers’ innings.”
It was soon the cue for Henriques and opener Daniel Hughes (42 off 33) to supercharge the total with 38 runs off a two-over power surge, including a 25-run assault off a Xavier Bartlett over.
HEAT ON BATTING
Having Kiwi captain Colin Munro and Englishman Sam Billings depart and no call on Test pair Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne has seriously diluted the Heat’s batting power.
Having looked so good, back-to-back losses has taken away a lot of fizz.
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Left-arm pace weapon Spencer Johnson is proving he might just be a bargain buy for the Indian Premier League at $1.78 million.
His 2-14 off four overs was superb. He bowled a remarkable 18 dot balls in three separate bursts to follow-up similar showings during the regular season.
Sixers paceman Ben Dwarshuis (5-21) and all-rounder Edwards (2-26) both bowled accurately and shrewdly to dominate.
HEAT ‘GAMBLE’ BACKFIRES
At 3-55 11 overs into their innings, the Heat made the curious decision to go to power surge with two new batters at the crease.
“Wow, that’s a big decision from the Brisbane Heat. Max Bryant’s faced just two balls, Renshaw four balls – and the Sixers are going to bring back their best bowlers,” Michael Hussey told Fox Cricket.
“It’s a gamble.”
Renshaw cleared the boundary rope twice across the next eight balls, but would then depart, sparking a collapse.
“They can work for you, Power Surges, as a batting team and often they can go completely against you. That’s the case here for the Brisbane Heat,” Gilchrist added.
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