Big Bash Daily: Brisbane Heat set up Thunder clash after defeating Adelaide Strikers

Heat move one step closer to the final while Strikers are left to rue dropped catches after being eliminated at the Gabba

Brisbane Heat chase down low target to set up Sydney Thunder clash

Brisbane Heat moved themselves one step closer to the Big Bash final after defeating Adelaide Strikers by six wickets at the Gabba.

Losing Alex Carey early on, Strikers struggled to get a foothold in the game and their lacklustre performance with the bat was summed up by Jake Weatherald’s 11th over run out. Five days on from his comical double dismissal against Sydney Thunder, Weatherald once again left the field red-faced after being run out by Marnus Labuschagne while trying to steal an unnecessary second run.

X-factor sub, Jon Wells, contributed three late boundaries to boost his side’s total but a superb performance from Heat’s bowlers limited Strikers to just 130-7.

Chasing 131, the home side lost Chris Lynn, Labuschagne and Sam Heazlett inside the powerplay to give Strikers hope of a trademark Heat batting collapse.

However, Joe Denly and Jimmy Peirson put on a 69-run fourth-wicket stand to steady the ship before Joe Burns joined Peirson in the middle to finish the job with seven balls remaining.

Brisbane Heat are now just two matches away from the final and face Sydney Thunder in the knockout fixture at Manuka Oval on Sunday.  

KFC Player of the Match Jimmy Peirson had hit ZERO boundaries by the time he was on 37 off 41 balls - then he iced the game in style @HeatBBL #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/LSiKlW64OR

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 29, 2021

Labuschagne stars with the ball

Returning to Big Bash action from international duty, there were concerns that Labuschagne would struggle in the T20 arena. He silenced his doubters in his first appearance, taking two wickets and contributing 28 runs against Strikers, and he punished the same opponents with the ball again today.

The 26-year old took the key wickets of Travis Head, Phil Salt and Michael Neser to finish with figures of 3-13 off his three overs and take his season’s total to 9-78 in four appearances.

Mitch Swepson also impressed with the ball, taking 2-23 off his four overs, while Morne Morkel (subbed on for Xavier Bartlett) conceded just seven runs off his power surge over to record figures of 1-31.

Dropped catches cost Strikers

Looking back on this match, Adelaide Strikers will rue four dropped catches which potentially cost them a place in the next round.  

Danny Briggs was responsible for two of the blunders, dropping Denly in the 10th over and Burns in the 19th when Heat needed 12 runs to win off 11 balls. Burns had previously been dropped by Weatherald at first slip, one ball after Denly’s dismissal, but it was Michael Neser’s drop which cost his side the most.

With the score at 51/3, Peirson badly timed a shot down to mid-off but Neser failed to take the chance. Peirson went on to form crucial partnerships with Denly and Burns, finishing the match on 47 not out off 44 deliveries.

^{Michael Neser, Jake Weatherald and Danny Briggs dropped catches for Adelaide Strikers}

Tomorrow: Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers battle for spot in the BBL final

Sydney Sixers take on Perth Scorchers in the BBL qualifier match in Canberra on Saturday, with the winner earning direct progression to next weekend’s final.

The two sides shared the spoils during their group stage matches – Scorchers completing an 86-run demolition on home soil before losing by seven wickets in the reverse fixture – making this mouth-watering clash incredibly difficult to predict.

Reigning BBL champions Sydney Sixers dominated the group stages, boasting a healthy eight-point lead with three matches remaining before a late dip in form put their position at the top in jeopardy. However, they returned to winning ways in their last group match – chasing down 178 to beat Melbourne Stars – and have shown this season that they should never be counted out.

One concern for Sixers is Josh Philippe’s recent batting slump. The 23-year old has scored just 33 runs in his past three matches but did smash 84 off 52 deliveries against Scorchers at Manuka Oval earlier in the season.

Big Bash Playoffs: All you need to know

Scorchers, meanwhile, pulled off the comeback of the season to reach the qualifier. The Perth side lost three of their opening four matches before bouncing back to win eight of their next 10 to finish second. Jhye Richardson has been a key figure in their resurgence, taking 27 wickets at 7.09, while Colin Munro and Josh Inglis have starred with the bat.

However, Scorchers did lose to Brisbane Heat on Tuesday to miss out on staging the fixture on home soil so the big question is, will they crack under pressure again?