Brisbane Heat opener Josh Brown played a terrific knock that took the Heat into the final of the BBL 2023-24 season. They will now face Sydney Sixers in the final on January 24.
He scored 140 off 57 balls with 10 fours and 12 sixes in his innings that helped his team reach 214/7 in their 20 overs. Nathan McSweeney. the skipper scored 33 off 29 deliveries.
Interestingly, six of the batters were dismissed for single-digit scores. After the skipper was dismissed, Brown continued on his merry way taking down the opposition bowlers. The 119-run stand between Brown and McSweenyt laid the platform for the big chase.
Brown was dismissed in the 17th over and since then the rest of the Heat batters could not add much to the score. From 192/2 in the 17th over, Brisbane Heat only scored 214/7.
Adelaide Strikers were bowled out for 160. Harry Nielsen scored 50 in the chase, and Thomas Kelly scored 41 off 24 balls. Matthew Short scored 19 off 9 balls opening the batting. Spencer Johnson took 3/20 with the ball. Xavier Bartlett took one for 30. Nathan McSweeney, the Brisbane Heat skipper after scoring 33 with the bat took wickets with the ball to turn the game in Brisbane Heat’s favour.
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Brown smacked the ball to all parts of the ground as he took down the Adelaide Strikers bowlers. He hit the ball cleanly as the ball travelled the distance. He hit 10 fours and 12 sixes in his knock. The big hits became crowd catches as the Queensland crowd was treated to some terrific strokeplay.
Watch Josh Brown’s Terrific Innings In The BBL 2023-24 Challenger Game
The most insane innings.
Here’s all of Josh Brown’s record-breaking 12(!!) sixes. #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/SGFndB8fc2
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 22, 2024
“Hopefully, I will be fine. The hip is a little sore. It hasn’t sunk in. Still pinching myself. The first pull shot and I knew I am feeling good. I just look to keep my balance. The power was always there. But the defence I have worked on. When its my day, I will hit it for a sixer. It would be interesting in the finale at the SCG” he said on his knock.
Brisbane Heat qualified for the BBL playoffs topping the table with 16 points. Sydney Sixers qualified with 4 points, Perth Scorchers with 13 points, and Adelaide Strikers with 11 points. Perth’s hopes of playing another BBL final and potentially winning it were dashed by the Strikers beating them in the knockout game.
Perth Scorchers won back-to-back titles in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons but now are no longer a part of the competition after losing out to Adelaide Strikers. The Sixers have already reached the final having won the Qualifier 1. Brisbane Heat defeated Adelaide Strikers to qualify for the final that will be played on Wednesday.
McSweeney finished it off with a three-fer but the final few nails in the coffin were hammered in by Brown and Johnson. Brown scored a majestic 140 and Johnson picked up a three-fer to ensure the chase for the Strikers was out of reach.
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