BRISBANE Heat fell short of defending their BBL crown, settling for a seventh-place finish having been in the finals race right until the last gasp. Having started strongly at 2-0 and progressed to 3-3, the Heat lost their way in the back-end of the season. We recap their BBL|14 campaign.

>> STATS RECAP: Scorchers pair complete golden season

BY THE NUMBERS

RECORD: 7th | 3 wins, 6 losses, 1 no result | -0.831 NRR
MOST RUNS: Matt Renshaw | 280 @ 35.0 | 169.69 SR | 54 HS
MOST WICKETS: Spencer Johnson | 13 @ 17.76 | 8.25 economy | 4-20 BB

RESULTS

WIN @ Melbourne Stars by 8 wickets
WIN vs. Adelaide Strikers by 3 wickets
LOSS @ Perth Scorchers by 33 runs
LOSS vs. Sydney Sixers by 8 wickets
LOSS vs. Melbourne Stars by 5 wickets
NR @ Sydney Sixers
WIN vs. Sydney Thunder by 5 wickets
LOSS @ Adelaide Strikers by 56 runs
LOSS vs. Hobart Hurricanes by 5 wickets
LOSS vs. Melbourne Renegades by 3 wickets

THE STORY

Brisbane started its title defence strongly with wins in its opening two games befitting of a champion team. Things quickly fell apart, though, as the Heat compiled two seperate three-game losing skids. Their win over Sydney Thunder on January 6 stood alone as their only victory across the final eight matches, making for a 3-6 win-loss record to go with one abandoned match due to rain. The Heat were in the finals hunt until their final game against Melbourne Renegades, which they lost by three wickets.

THE HIGHLIGHT

Perhaps the result which reads best out of Brisbane’s season was the five-wicket win over eventual finalist, Sydney Thunder. The Heat were set 174 for victory at The Gabba having gone winless in their last four games, albeit with one no result. After falling to 3-43, the home side rallied through a 108-run stand between Matt Renshaw (48* off 33) and Max Bryant (72 off 35) to help seal the result with seven balls remaining. The win evened Brisbane’s ledger at 3-3, momentarily revitalising its title defence.

THE LOWLIGHT

While the Heat’s finals hopes were officially ended in a final round loss to the Renegades, they were all but quashed two nights earlier. Hosting eventual champions, the Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane posted 6-201 with help from returning Test stars Usman Khawaja (23 off 9) and Marnus Labuschagne (77 off 44). It wasn’t enough, as the Hurricanes came from the clouds to sneak home off the final ball and leave the Heat’s top four dream in tatters. What followed only confirmed the inevitable.

THE STAR

Despite missing three games due to a troublesome toe injury, frontline quick Spencer Johnson led the Heat’s wicket tally with 13. It often looked a different game when he took the ball, especially during the Power Surge, conceding 8.25 runs per over but making key breakthroughs. Johnson’s best figures of 4/20 came in a 33-run loss to Perth on his Boxing Day return, and he went on to claim multiple wickets in three of his next six appearances – going wicketless just twice overall.

TOP KNOCK

Nathan McSweeney – 78* (49) vs. Adelaide Strikers @ The Gabba

Nathan McSweeney carried himself remarkably well after being dropped from the Australian Test squad ahead of Boxing Day. He was released to play for the Heat and beat the Strikers off his own bat to serve a reminder of his talent. With his side chasing 175, the 25-year-old came to the crease at the end of the second over and paced his innings beautifully to finish unbeaten. The Heat won off the final ball with Mitch Swepson hitting the decisive single to see Brisbane move to 2-0.

BEST BOWLING

Xavier Bartlett 4-10 (4) vs. Melbourne Stars @ The Gabba

Spearheading Brisbane’s attack alongside fellow white ball international Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett outshone his counterpart with 4-10 in a loss to the Stars. The reliable quick took four of five wickets for the innings, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Stars from surpassing the 150-run target. Bartlett removed dangermen Ben Duckett and Glenn Maxwell for nought, on top of ending the century stand between Dan Lawrence and Marcus Stoinis. His teammates couldn’t repeat the feats.

CONTRACT STATUS

SIGNED: Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Callum Vidler

FREE AGENTS: Marnus Labuschagne, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood

UNCONTRACTED: Tom Alsop, Tom Banton, Paul Walter, Daniel Drew, Tom Straker, Tom Whitney

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