Brown bludgeons 57-ball 140 to arrange Heat’s remaining date with Sixers

Brisbane Heat 214 for 7 (Brown 140, McSweeney 33, Payne 2-17, Pope 2-39, Boyce 2-50) beat Adelaide Strikers 160 (Nielsen 50, Kelly 41, McSweeney 3-3, Johnson 3-20) by 54 runs

Heat will look to finish an 11-year title drought once they face Sydney Sixers in Wednesday’s remaining on the SCG.

It was a robust bounceback from Heat, who had suffered a 39-run residence defeat to Sixers within the Qualifier after ending prime of the desk.

The in-form Strikers have been left deflated after having entered the sport with confidence after 5 straight victories capped by an upset highway victory over defending champions Perth Scorchers within the Knockout.

After being routed for 113 by Sixers, Heat rejigged their batting order by selecting opener Charlie Wakim for his season debut. Heat additionally reverted their ways by electing to bat first in what proved a smart transfer on a floor that appeared higher for batting than within the earlier match.

After Wakim fell lbw within the second over off fast David Payne’s first ball, Brown took over by initially blasting sixes over midwicket off seamers Henry Thornton and James Bazley.

Strikers have been rattled however seemed to legspinners Boyce and Pope, who had confirmed an unstoppable tandem throughout Strikers’ successful streak. They had mixed for seven wickets in opposition to a tentative Scorchers batting line-up on the pace-friendly Optus Stadium, however an aggressive Brown determined to take the aerial route in beneficial situations with little spin on supply.

Boyce leaked 9 runs in his first over, and Pope fared even worse by conceding 14 when he entered the assault within the seventh over. Brown motored previous his half-century in 22 balls and determined to take down Boyce and Pope earlier than drinks. He smashed a trio of sixes in a single over off Boyce, who had solely been hit for eight sixes in ten earlier matches this season.

Brown had proven glimpses of his muscular batting earlier than however hadn’t fairly put it collectively. In 21 earlier BBL innings, he had solely averaged 20.52 with one half-century. It all clicked into gear with Brown regularly hitting over the covers with brute power as he eyed the quickest century in BBL historical past set ten years in the past when Craig Simmons blasted a 39-ball century for Scorchers.

In the Challenger, Brown fell wanting that mark, however on his forty first supply he pummelled Boyce over the covers for his ninth six to achieve a maiden BBL century. He seemed like he would possibly run out of steam in humid situations, however continued to face and ship.

Glenn Maxwell’s BBL file of 154 not out was significantly underneath risk earlier than Brown lastly holed out within the seventeenth over as Heat fell away on the demise.

Strikers’ late fightback gave them faint hope because the strain fell on skipper Matthew Short to guide from the entrance. He began quick earlier than holing out within the fourth over to Johnson, who two balls later dismissed opener D’Arcy Short.

The burden fell on in-form No. 3 Jake Weatherald, who got here in averaging 183 with a strike price of 192.62 in his final three video games since turning into a late-season inclusion.