Big Bash League: Heat v Sydney Sixers match postponed as Covid strikes Brisbane camp

The BBL and Brisbane Heat are scrambling to find replacement players in time for Thursday’s clash with the Renegades in Geelong, after 12 players returned positive PCR tests.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 01: Jimmy Peirson of the Heat celebrates with teammates the wicket of Tim David of the Hurricanes during the Men's Big Bash League match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Brisbane Heat at Blundstone Arena, on January 01, 2022, in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

GOLD Coast’s Big Bash bonanza has hit yet another Covid-19 snag, with Cricket Australia on Wednesday confirming 12 Brisbane Heat players had tested positive to the virus.

The Heat were initially fixtured to host the Sydney Sixers at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday night, however the match was postponed 24 hours after multiple players tested positive to rapid antigen tests.

Cricket Australia has since confirmed 12 Heat players returned positive PCR tests, forcing a further postponement to the match against the Sixers.

The club was unable to source enough replacement players for Wednesday night’s match to go ahead.

“Twelve Heat players today returned positive PCR tests for Covid-19 and are currently isolating,” the BBL confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

Despite its best endeavours, the club was unable to recruit enough replacement players in the 24 hours since the first case was identified to make up the required squad of 13 for tonight’s (Wednesday) match.”

The Heat are due to play the Melbourne Renegades at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong on Thursday. That match remains scheduled to go ahead, with the club scrambling to find replacement players in time.

“We acknowledge the wholehearted efforts of the Brisbane Heat to field a team tonight. However, in the time available it was not possible for them to secure the 13 players required, hence the decision to postpone the match,” Cricket Australia’s general manager of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, said.

“At all times the league, in consultation with our clubs, governments, broadcasters, partners and venues have worked tirelessly to make the best decision for the whole competition based on the information available, with health and safety the top priority.

“In this instance, the decision to postpone tonight’s match was the only option available given the number of cases within the Heat squad and the inability to secure the required number of players fit to take the field.

“We thank our fans for understanding in these difficult circumstances.”

EARLIER: Multiple Covid cases force BBL fixture reshuffle

Multiple Brisbane Heat players have tested positive for Covid-19 on the morning of a prime time clash with the Sydney Sixers at Metricon Stadium, forcing the Big Bash League to delay the match by 24 hours while awaiting further confirmation.

The bombshell has led to a rapid reshuffle of the week’s Metricon Stadium Big Bash fixtures.

The Heat’s game with the Sixers has been pushed back to 8.15pm on Wednesday, with Thursday night’s clash between the Sixers and Perth Scorchers brought forward to Tuesday to fill the void.

Wednesday’s Scorchers v Thunder match has been bumped back to Thursday.

Revised Fixtures

January 4, 6.15pm (AEST): Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers (previously scheduled for January 6)

January 5, 8.15pm (AEST): Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers (previously scheduled for January 4)

January 6, 8.15pm (AEST): Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder (previously scheduled for January 5)

Coast Cricket storylines Week 7

As we approach mid-season the formlines are starting to settle and the contenders separating themselves from the pretenders.

With Week 7 upon us, The Bulletin cricket writers cast an eye over a handful of top-of-the-table match-ups and some key mid-table encounters that could have massive finals ramifications later in the year.

Read on for the storylines we’re following this weekend.

READ MORE:

Coast Cricket Wrap: 4th Grade Double Ton

Coast Cricket Teams of the Week – Week 8

Power Rankings: Teams 1-73 ranked

Top 10 All-Rounders of 2021-22

WEEK 7

RUNAWAY BAY V MUDGEERABA – 1ST GRADE

IT’S the match-up we’ve all been waiting for – the two top teams through the first portion of the season pit against each other, with sole ownership of top of the table at stake. Runaway Bay (5th) and Mudgeeraba (6th) both rate as top 10 pound-for-pound teams in Coast cricket according to The Bulletin’s Power Rankings.

It’s the high-powered bowling attack of Steve Graham and Matt Madeley at Bay, up against the heavy hitting prowess of Mudgee’s Josh Nelson and Howard Biddle. If you’re a partisan Coast cricket supporter looking for one match to watch on Saturday, this is the one for you.

KEY WICKET: Josh Nelson (Mudgeeraba)

Last season’s second-best bat in the Kookaburra Cup has picked up where he left off in 2020. After leading Mudgee to the T20 title – and overcoming that gruesome outfield collision with his teammate – Nelson again leads the reigning champions in the runscoring department. His battle with Bay’s bowling tandem will be the most enticing storyline of the day.

KEY STAT: 6-0. Both unbeaten through three games each, one team will have its perfect start ended on Saturday.

SOUTHPORT V BURLEIGH – 2ND GRADE

TOP of the table Southport plays early pacesetters Burleigh in what promises to be a great litmus test for where both sides sit through the early portion of the season.

Burleigh started with a flourish but has lost its past two on the trot to now sit fourth on the table. Southport meanwhile has strung three wins in a row including an impressive 49-run victory over fellow finals rivals Mudgeeraba a fortnight ago. Can Southport extend its winning streak to four, or will Burleigh rediscover its early season form as we enter the one-dayers?

KEY WICKET: Paul Johnston (Southport)

Johnston trails Alberton’s Mitchell Brauer by a solitary run in the second grade runscorer standings and boasts the third-best average (50.25) of those who have played in at least four matches. The number six has routinely produced matchwinning runs in the middle order and will likely be required to do so again against Burleigh on Saturday.

KEY STAT: 57. Southport has taken more wickets through four matches than any other team in second grade.

RUNAWAY BAY V SOUTHPORT – 3RD GRADE

ANOTHER compelling top of the table clash as the 5-1 Runaway Bay and Southport do battle at Sam Loxton No. 2 on Saturday.

With sole ownership of top spot up for grabs, this looms as a pivotal swing contest early in the season – particularly with unbeaten Palm Beach Currumbin still boasting a game in hand over the top two. The top five logjam will be shaken up in a big way by the result of this contest.

KEY WICKET: Vishwadeep Singh (Southp.)

Southport’s second drop is the comfortable clear leader in the third grade runscoring stakes and he’s coming off another half-century in the win over Burleigh last weekend. In Southport’s only loss this season, to Coomera fortnight ago, Singh was dismissed cheaply. That’s the blueprint Bay will need to emulate if it’s to get one-up on its top of the table rival.

KEY STAT: 5/28. Bay bowler Ted Gossett is coming off his best figures of the season and now sits second in the comp with 14 wickets.

MUDGEERABA BLUE V BROADBEACH – 4TH GRADE

THE HIGH-FLYING Mudgeeraba Blue was knocked off its perch last weekend and up next is a Broadbeach team which has won four of its past five including a 114-run demolition job of Helensvale last time out.

Mudgeeraba Blue, which topped the 73-team Gold Coast Cricket Power Rankings on its debut last week, was bowled out for a paltry 60 runs by Coomera at the weekend. That pushed them down to fourth on the Coast, while Broadbeach’s big win catapulted it 14 spots up the rankings.

KEY WICKET: Scott Robson (Broadbeach)

It might seem odd to leave out a Mudgee batsman here, considering the team’s ridiculous runscoring record. But after Robson’s 209 not-out last weekend – yes, you read correctly – it’s impossible to not put him here. With scores of 6, 2 and 0 in his three innings prior to the double ton, the Broadbeach opener might be the biggest boom or bust prospect in Coast cricket. If he can go big again on Saturday – though asking for another 200 might be tough – it will go a long way to a Broadbeach win.

KEY STAT: 603.Not only the top runscoring team in the competition, Mudgee Blue has also conceded 162 runs fewer than the next-best.

BONOGIN V RUNAWAY BAY – 5TH GRADE

FIFTH Grade’s two most dominant batsmen of 2021/2022 will meet for the first time in a Davenport Park blockbuster on Saturday. Bonogin opening bat Bevan Marks is the Gold Coast’s leading runscorer across any division, with 410 runs across five innings. Runaway Bay all-rounder Hitesh Virmani is closest on his heels with 320 runs. The battle between the grade’s most in-form batsmen should be legendary.

KEY WICKET: Bevan Marks (Bonogin)

The skipper dropped himself to seventh in the order last week to give his teammates a chance to build confidence against PBC Colts. It backfired, with a ton of cheap wickets forcing Marks to rescue the team.

KEY STAT: 77%. That’s the total percentage of Bevan Marks’ season runs scored via boundaries, with 37 fours and 28 sixes. Bay must find a way to limit Marks’ boundary hitting or ensnare him with a catch.

BROADBEACH V PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN – 6TH GRADE

RUNAWAY Bay and Coomera have established themselves as the clear one and two teams through six games, but there’s a five-team logjam on 3-2 which includes Broadbeach and PBC. Early season points are just as crucial as late in the campaign, and these games against would-be finals rivals can be the difference between playing in the post-season or watching from the periphery.

KEY WICKET: Vince Hellier (Palm Beach Currumbin)

Sixth Grade’s top bat is averaging 79 runs this season, helped along by his stellar 96 not out a fortnight ago. With just two scores under 53 this season, Hellier’s is the big wicket Broadbeach’s bowlers will be after.

KEY STAT: 943. Teams have been able to go after Palm Beach’s bowling contingent, with its 943 runs conceding the second-most in the grade.

WEEK 5

QUEENS V HELENSVALE PACIFIC PINES – 1ST GRADE

Kookaburra Cup joint-pacesetter Helensvale returns to Greg Chaplin Oval on Saturday at 1/46 chasing Queens’ 211 from the weekend prior. Jack Lickiss (11 off 40) and Ryan Maloney (15 off 54) saw off a difficult 19 overs to set Helensvale up nicely for a day two victory.

Key wicket – Harry Lickiss: – Helensvale’s star all-rounder has started the season at a canter, producing knocks of 93 and 55 not out to sit fifth on the Coast’s list of leading runscorers across all grades. He’s proved a pain to dismiss this season but if Queens can get him cheap, the middle order opens up. Of course, they also have to get through his brother Sam Lickiss, who is averaging a more than respectable 51.5 so far this campaign.

Stat that matters: The target of 211 set by Queens has been met by Helensvale in each of its previous two matches this season – 238 v Coomera and 5/255 v Surfers Paradise.

MUDGEERABA NERANG V SOUTHPORT LABRADOR – 1ST GRADE

The reigning Kookaburra Cup champions were held to 190 last weekend by a quality Southport Labrador bowling performance. The question now is whether the visitors can produce with the bat and throw an early spanner in Mudgee’s title defence.

Key wicket –Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi: Mitipolarachchi tonned up in Southport’s dead rubber second innings last round after losing his wicket for just three in the first innings. Winless in both starts this season, outside of the aforementioned second innings runs have been hard to come by for Southport. They’ll need Mitipolarachchi – and the rest of the top order – to fire if there’s any chance of an upset on Saturday.

Stat that matters: Southport’s opening pair has combined for just 57 first-innings runs in the opening two rounds. That’s the worst in the Kookaburra Cup of qualifying teams, and is a stat that must improve if Southport is to have any chance of chasing down the total.

QUEENS V HELENSVALE PACIFIC PINES – 2ND GRADE

It’s equal-top plays equal-bottom, and somehow the latter is poised to produce an early upset. Unbeaten competition leaders Queens need a miracle to avoid defeat at home to Helensvale on Saturday, with the latter resuming at 0/97 chasing 154 for a first innings victory.

Key wicket –Paul Baird: The Helensvale opener has had reasonable starts in his first two innings, but he found his groove last weekend with 10 boundaries to spearhead the still-unbeaten 97-run opening partnership. If Queens is going to have any chance at pulling this back, they need to send Baird – and opening partner Richard Sen – to the sheds early.

Stat that matters: 128 and 119 were Helensvale’s batting benchmarks heading into the match-up with Queens. Short of a horror collapse the hosts should pass that tally – but a history of middling middle-order performances will give Queens some hope of a miracle.

BURLEIGH V COOMERA HOPE ISLAND – 2ND GRADE

Burleigh’s unbeaten start to the season is already over, after Coomera raced past the visitors’ paltry 92-run benchmark on the first day’s play. Resuming at 6/116, can Coomera push the accelerator and go for maximum points?

Key wicket – Brandt Hurley: Throw a blanket over anyone in the Burleigh top order, but we’ll go with Hurley who leads his side’s runscoring. His wicket could be the make or break domino in Burleigh’s second innings.

Stat that matters: 12. That’s maximum points on offer for Coomera if they can capitalise on the opening day’s domination. It’s not an easy feat to accomplish at this level, but those bonus points could prove crucial come season’s end.

RUNAWAY BAY V HELENSVALE PACIFIC PINES – 3RD GRADE

An enticing clash between two three-win teams and an early opportunity to test the mettle of these finals hopefuls. Bay is coming off a loss to Broadbeach Robina while Helensvale escaped a final-ball thriller against Burleigh last weekend.

Key wicket – Dilanka Sanjeer: The gatekeeper of Runaway Bay’s lower-order, Sanjeer’s 77 not out in round one remains his side’s top score of the season. He returned last weekend and managed just 7 runs batting at six – Bay recording its lowest innings score of the campaign and with it a first loss. If Sanjeer can fire in the middle order, Bay will fancy its chances.

Stat that matters: With an innings average of 192-per, Helensvale is the highest scoring team in the competition. Since the opening weekend’s 6/235, Bay has tailed off in each subsequent match and failed to hit that magic mark since.

MUDGEERABA BLUE V MUDGEERABA COLTS – 4TH GRADE

Clubmates turned rivals for a weekend and what a match-up this promises to be. The two Mudgee sides are three wins from four outings this season, though Blue have been the pacesetters – statistically, one of the best-performing teams of any senior grade in Coast cricket.

Key wicket – Kent Tomsett:Coast cricket’s leading run scorer, Tomsett will need to be at his brilliant best if the Colts are to best their more-fancied Blue brothers. His ridiculous 106 not out last weekend still wasn’t enough for the Colts to best Tamborine Mountain. He needs an ally or two to stick with him in the middle on Saturday.

Stat that matters: 19. The total number of wickets Mudgeeraba Blue has lost in its three matches this season. The competition pacesetters are yet to drop more than eight wickets in an innings and are averaging more than 280 runs-per. Ridiculous numbers, but if any team can bring them down to earth it’s probably their clubmates.

SURFERS PARADISE V HELENSVALE GREEN – 5TH GRADE

It’s 5th v 12th, but there’s more intrigue here than what’s on the surface. Helensvale Green may be the bottom team through four weeks, but they’ve played three of the top four sides. With 557 runs-for, they rank in the top half of the competition. This match-up is closer than perhaps it looks on paper.

Key wicket – Brendan Driscoll: Driscoll topscored with 59 off 63 in his fifth grade season debut for Surfers last weekend, helping them to a seven-wicket win. One would expect him to keep his place at the top of the order for Saturday and on his previous showing, looms as an important player in how this one pans out.

Stat that matters: Only two teams have taken less wickets than Helensvale’s 21 through four matches, and they meet a Surfers side that has lost the second-fewest (17) in the competition. Helensvale’s bowlers must fire if they’re to get a maiden season win.

BROADBEACH ROBINA V ALBERTON ORMEAU – 6TH GRADE

A mid-table battle between two sides that on their day have top-four potential – at least, with the bat. Aside from unbeaten competition leaders Runaway Bay and Coomera, Broadbeach and Alberton are the next-best batting sides. For an early-season match-up there’s a lot at stake in this one.

Key wicket – Zac Wilkinson: He’s batted at first drop and seven this season but wherever hasn’t matted for the Broadbeach all-rounder who is averaging 33 with the bat. His five sixes in the thumping win over Helensvale Green a fortnight ago showed he has the means to take a game by the scruff of the neck.

Stat that matters: Alberton has conceded 698 runs in four innings, the most in the competition by a fair margin. Broadbeach showed against Helensvale Green a fortnight ago that big scores are not beyond them. But Alberton also boasts the second-best runs-for this season. If you were a betting man, you would jump on the overs in this one.