The Brisbane Heat have taken out one of the more remarkable Big Bash League matches in memory after rain force a 10-over-a-side match against the Melbourne Stars.
The Heat smashed 3/115 after rain delays throughout the first innings but it was just the start as under Duckworth Lewis Stern, the Stars had to chase 129 to win.
The Heat then put in one of the best fielding performances you will ever see to claim the win by 19 runs as the Stars could only muster 6/110.
The Stars’ Andre Fletcher couldn’t get going but finally got a four away when he hit Mujeeb Ur Rahman down the ground for a four that wasn’t took convincing before he got under the next one.
But it gave Mark Steketee the chance to get under it and he took the catch on the boundary before flicking it back in to Bartlett to complete the catch.
“What a catch, the double play from the Brisbane Heat, Steketee, Bartlett, that is one of the best catches you’ll see this tournament,” Isa Guha said.
It was just the beginning though with Lewis Gregory catching out the Stars’ Nicholas Pooran slammed 16 runs in four ball before a top edge went all the way out to Lewis Gregory on the boundary.
It was swirling in the sky and Gregory took a diving stunner that would have been hard enough to just take as a regulation catch.
“That is an unbelievable catch, I thought it was getting away from him, he’s hung on an absolute ripper,” Mike Hussey said.
“You can’t underestimate how difficult a catch this is from Lewis Gregory,” he added later.
A contentious call almost saw Max Bryant pull off a piece of fielding brilliance when he was deemed to have touched the other side of the rope before he passed it to a teammate.
But a matter of balls later, he pulled off one of the best pieces of fielding seen.
Nick Larkin smashed a ball to the cow corner boundary and Bryant waited before diving backwards, taking the one handed catch and throwing it back in the field of play.
“Oh, what a save,” Mike Hussey raved as Isa Guha and Andrew Symonds tried to find the words.
“That was a screamer, oh my God,” Guha added.
“I saw Nicholas Pooran do this in the IPL and this is almost as good,” Hussey said. “Great bit of fielding.”
Heat skipper Chris Lynn was in awe of the insane catching display.
“Throughout the tournament we’ve been quite disappointing with our fielding. It was exceptional but for us, that’s the standard we’ve got to set for every game,” he said.
“They were tough catches. I tell you what – I didn’t want to be under them.”
But despite the exceptional fielding, Larkin almost got the Stars home, slamming 35 not out off 16 balls but needing 23 off the last over, Seb Gotch was stuck on strike and used up three balls as the Stars missed out by 19 runs.
It was an incredible finish to a match that appeared destined to be washed out.
Earlier, Chris Lynn hit 48 off 23 balls with four fours before he was bowled off the first ball following the second restart after a rain delay.
It set up the innings with Max Bryant’s 31 off 23 and Joe Burns hitting 22 not out off 11 balls.
Updates
Andrew McMurtry
Xavier Bartlett has taken one of the easiest catches he’ll ever take – after Mark Steketee did all the work.
The Stars’ Andre Fletcher has been struggling to get going all tournament and this was no time to go slow.
In a 10 over match, the Stars were struggling with Fletcher 11 off 11.
He then hit Mujeeb down the ground for a four that wasn’t took convincing before getting under the next one.
But it gave Steketee the chance to get under it and he took the catch on the boundary before flicking it back in to Bartlett to complete the catch.
“What a catch, the double play from the Brisbane Heat, Steketee, Bartlett, that is one of the best catches you’ll see this tournament,” Isa Guha said.
It was far from the ideal return but it has sparked a new rule idea from ESPNcricinfo assistant editor Matt Roller that four imports can play in a game, as long as one is an X-factor sub and can only be subbed for another import.
BBL should change the rules on registrations so that the fourth overseas player can be an X-factor sub, but can only replace another overseas
Would be great for Stars to have the option to bring in Zahir Khan after Rauf’s first over went for 20
Probably sounds pretty good for the Stars right now.
After six overs, it’s 0/66.
Andrew McMurtry
One of the best examples of BBL success stories has to be Haris Rauf.
The Melbourne Stars gun was plucked from grade cricket in Tasmania at the start of last summer by the Stars and finished third on the BBL wicket-taking list, with 20 scalps in just 10 games. Rauf put himself on the national radar in Pakistan, having played in two ODIs and 11 T20s.
But while he was supposed to be playing an ODI series against South Africa, he’s been able to link up with the Stars for a return against the Brisbane Heat.
It’s not got off to the perfect start however, with rain delaying the start and reducing the game to a 17-over a side match.
The rain is still around but they are currently playing through.
