BBL: Brisbane Heat’s bowling depth a key factor in push for finals

The Heat’s bowling stocks, which include the in-form Mark Steketee, loom as the key to Brisbane securing a BBL finals berth.

Brisbane Heat bowler Mark Steketee (left) celebrates the wicket of the Renegades’ Jake Fraser-McGurk with teammate Joe Burns. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

IN-form Heat paceman Mark Steketee has lauded his side’s bowling depth, which is set to prove crucial in Brisbane’s push for a BBL finals spot.

Steketee took 2-24 in the Heat’s five-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades on Thursday night at Manuka Oval to take his BBL season tally to 18 wickets at an average of 15.94.

And while happy with his own form, Steketee takes greater delight in the Heat’s work as a bowling unit and the options at Brisbane’s disposal.

A perfect example came against the Renegades, when young quick Xavier Bartlett opened the bowling, claimed a wicket and conceded just two runs in his only over before being subbed out of the game and replaced by “X-Factor”, South African speedster Morne Morkel.

In his Heat debut, Morkel didn’t disappoint, finishing with the respectable T20 figures of 1-29 from four overs.

And all of this happened while the player with most wickets in BBL history, Ben Laughlin, watched on from the sidelines after being unable to make Brisbane’s match-day squad.

A sight for sore eyes... 😍@mornemorkel65 #BringtheHEAT #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/tL8X9oUtOA

— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL) January 15, 2021

“We have plenty of options, we have a lot of experience sitting on the pine,” Steketee said.

“That’s helping the guys that are actually playing a lot more than what people think.”

Steketee praised Bartlett for accepting his substitution on the chin.

“`Big X’ bowled a beautiful first over. I thought that’s the best he’s looked in Big Bash this year and then he got subbed out,” Steketee said.

“We’re all playing for the team here. He was fine with it. It was obviously great to get Morne involved in the tournament.

“He’s obviously got some much experience, and he’s just been great around the group as well. He helps out the boys a lot and is willing to give up all his little tricks he’s learnt along the way.”

And it’s not just the pace department where the Heat – who meet the Perth Scorchers at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday night – are firing.

Spinner Matthew Kuhnemann’s four-over effort of 1-15 against the Renegades showed there is life after Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has left the Brisbane squad to play for Afghanistan in a limited-overs series against Ireland.

“I was very happy for him. He bowled beautifully,” Steketee said.

“It wouldn’t be easy to fill Mujeeb’s boots. Hopefully he can take a lot of confidence from that going forward because we’ll need him going into matches at Marvel (Stadium) and the MCG. They’re usually slower wickets so the spinners are going to play a big role.”

Originally published as BBL: Brisbane Heat’s bowling depth a key factor in push for finals