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Brisbane Heat defeat Melbourne Stars

THE Brisbane Heat have withstood a fast finishing Melbourne Stars to claim the opening win of their Big Bash campaign.

James McKern
7 min read
December 20, 2017 - 11:15PM
Its been all smiles for the Brisbane Heat in their opening Big Bash encounter.
Its been all smiles for the Brisbane Heat in their opening Big Bash encounter.

Live BBL: Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars

The Brisbane Heat have started their Big Bash campaign in style with a resounding victory over the Melbourne Stars in front of their home crowd.

THE Brisbane Heat have opened their BBL07 campaign in style with a big win against the Melbourne Stars in front of a rowdy 27,433 crowd at the Gabba.

Alex Ross and Joe Burns did the damage with the bat as both tallied half centuries while it was youngster Shadab Khan who was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets in his first game.

Brisbane Heat 7/206 defeated Melbourne Stars 6/191

11.10pm

Stars can’t handle the Heat

In front of their home fans, the Brisbane Heat got the job done even with their star batsmen Chris Lynn watching on from the sidelines.

Behind an even spread of batters piling on the runs, the Heat tallied an enormous 206 runs with Alex Ross and Joe Burns both scoring half centuries.

Brendon McCullum got the party started and looked promising before falling on 40.

With the pace bowlers continuously bowling horrible deliveries, the Heat batters took full advantage and set the Stars an ominous chase.

The run chase got off to a nightmare start for the Stars, losing Ben Dunk in the very first over courtesy of a Mitch Swepson screamer.

While the big wickets fell early, a partnership between Marcus Stoinis and James Faulkner reignited the Stars hopes.

Both Stoinis and Faulkner looked out on their feet as they wilted away at the total but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t drag the Stars across the line.

The duo combined for the fifth biggest partnership in Big Bash history as they put 147 runs on the board and brought the Stars within reach of pulling off the unthinkable.

After being dropped twice in the 90s, Stoinis was run out in the final over on 99 runs off only 51 balls in what was an incredible innings.

In what looked like an unlikely contest halfway through the Stars innings, turned into a rather exciting contest but the Heat did enough to escape with the victory.

10.35pm

Refusing to go away

The Stars hit 30 runs off eight balls and are right back into this contest.

Marcus Stoinis is leading the charge and has raced to 65 runs off only 31 balls after taking Ben Cutting apart for two sixes and two fours in the 13th over.

While there is still of work to be done, having Stoinis and the finishing in James Faulkner at the crease, the Stars will be thinking they’re a chance.

10.15pm

Stars in real trouble

Runs needed to come in thick and fast for the Melbourne Stars in their run chase, but the Brisbane Heat have been able to put the clamps on.

With big wickets in Ben Dunk, Kevin Pietersen and Glenn Maxwell all falling early, the Stars hopes faded quickly before falling completely when Luke Wright was clean bowled.

19-year-old leg spinner Shadab Khan, playing in his first Big Bash competition, has decimated the batting line-up after picking up Maxwell with only his third ball.

It’s a big hill to climb for the Stars if they’re to overcome the Heat tally.

9.40pm

Swepson screamer stuns Stars

The most deflating start to a big run chase is losing an opener in the very first over. Unfortunately for the Stars that’s exactly what happened as Ben Dunk was sent packing early.

Dunk hit a delivery in direction of gully where Mitch Swepson was waiting and after palming the ball at the first attempt, he dove and claimed the spectacular catch on the second attempt.

With a required run rate of over ten an over required, the Stars are off to a tough start.

9.20pm

Heat punish sloppy Stars bowling

Despite missing their superstar Chris Lynn, the Brisbane Heat have smashed the Melbourne Stars bowlers to all corners of the Gabba.

With Michael Beer and Adam Zampa the only bowlers who were able to curtail the Heat attack as their combined seven overs went for a meagre 45-runs with two wickets.

Unfortunately it was the pace bowlers who gave up the bulk of the runs with John Hastings and Scott Boland the two main culprits.

From a combined six overs, the two men gave up a staggering 96-runs as they struggled to keep the ball on the pitch, delivering a plethora of full toss deliveries.

For the Heat the punishment came from a variety of angles with Brendon McCullum, Joe Burns, Alex Ross and Ben Cutting all passing 35 runs.

Burns and Ross managed to score half centuries before losing their wickets going for one too many runs.

The Stars have a huge task ahead of them now with a run chase requiring 207 runs to walk out of Brisbane with the victory.

8.45pm

Burns turns up the Heat, then flames out

Joe Burns has taken over where Brendon McCullum left off.

In the eleventh over of the match, Burns loosened up his shoulders and blasted 22 runs off in scintilating fashion.

The Heat are ticking along at just under ten runs an over and have put the blowtorch back onto the Melbourne Stars bowlers.

If the Stars are hoping to restrict the run chase, they’ll need to break this partnership which has now reached 76 runs.

After bringing up his half century with a four, Burns tried going for one too many the very next ball and hit one high into the night’s sky as Ben Dunk got underneath and swallowed the ball inside his keeping gloves.

8.15pm

KP’s Broad potshot, Heat flickering

Kevin Pietersen isn’t afraid to speak his mind and he’s delivered a cutting shot to current England pacemen Stuart Broad.

With the pace of the English bowlers being a major talking point through the first three Ashes’ Tests, Pietersen hit Broad with this absolute gem.

As left arm spinner Michael Beer was walking in to bowl, Pietersen told the Big Bash commentators: “he’s bowling quicker than Broad at the moment”.

After a 49-run stand, the partnership came to an end when Sam Heazlett skied a ball to mid-on and into the ever safe hands of John Hasting.

Next over it was the dangerous McCullum who fell to a slower delivery that he tried to work around the corner but popped it straight into the air for Glenn Maxwell to claim comfortably.

7.55pm

Perison flames out, McCullum blasting

James Perison fell to left arm spinner Michael Beer in only the second over of the game after a leading edge went straight into the hands of John Hasting.

Luckily for the Heat their skipper Brendon McCullum wasn’t put off by the early loss and quickly got on with the show.

Scott Boland was brought into the attack in the third over and McCullum quickly dispatched his short bowling. Hitting the first four balls of the over for 18 runs.

7.05pm

Teams named for Heat & Stars

7.00pm

Lynn out for Heat

Superstar Chris Lynn is officially out of the Brisbane Heat’s BBL07 opener in what is a big blow for the home side and cricket fans tuning in all around the country.

The Melbourne Stars captain John Hasting won the toss and has elected to send the hometown side in first.

6.00pm

Pietersen and Cutting trade barbs

Chris Lynn looks set to return from injury in the Brisbane Heat’s Big Bash League opener against the Melbourne Stars on Wednesday.

The destructive batsman has trained strongly this week and has been named in the Heat’s 13-man squad for the Gabba match in what would be an early return from shoulder surgery in July.

There will be plenty of feeling between the sides, with all-rounders Ben Cutting and Marcus Stoinis trading banter on Tuesday along with Kevin Pietersen reigniting his feud with the city of Brisbane.

While aware of the threat Lynn posed, Stoinis said Stars teammate Adam Zampa would “have him covered” with his leg spin.

“They’re a good team and one of the favourites with Lynny and Baz (Brendon) McCullum at the top of the order,” Stoinis said.

“But no offence to them, we’ve got them covered and speaking to Zamps before, he has him covered.”

The talent-stacked Stars also feature Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Luke Wright and Kevin Pietersen.

Englishman Pietersen hasn’t missed a chance to bag Brisbane in his commentary role this summer, something not lost on Cutting.

“I get to play in front of 35,000 people; if he wants to s***-can it, it doesn’t worry me and I think the crowd will give it to him,” Cutting said.

Pietersen started his feud with the city during his commentary role in the first Ashes Test and took to twitter to continue the trend.

Brisbane boast a 4-2 BBL record over the Stars, who have made the knockout stage of all six tournaments but never won a title.

“That’s just a typical Melbourne thing isn’t it, they thinking they’re better than us in every way,” Cutting said of the Stars’ confidence.

Cutting said it had been the “same old Lynny” in the nets this week.

“That’s not up to me (if he plays) but I batted with him in the nets last night and he smacked them,” he said.

Stoinis says there is no reason the Stars, who now boast Queensland product and BBL batting powerhouse Dunk, won’t break their title drought this season.

“That’s what we’re aiming for, no point in hiding it,” he said.

“Come the finals there’s different pressure — everyone says it’s another game but it’s not — but there’s no excuses, I don’t see why this year won’t be our time.”

— with AAP

Originally published as Brisbane Heat defeat Melbourne Stars

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/live-bbl-brisbane-heat-vs-melbourne-stars/news-story/3635af4a5121996cfaff6341d517500c