BBL 11 | Xavier Bartlett’s scintillating showing with the ball takes Heat past Hurricanes

On New Year’s day, Brisbane Heat registered their third victory in the Big Bash League 2021-22 as they defeated Hobart Hurricanes by 14 runs and to gain four crucial points and narrow the gap between themselves and fifth-placed Sydney Thunder who have 16 points. 

Xavier Bartlett was the hero with the ball for the Heat as he picked four wickets in the game and most importantly dismissed the two openers Matthew Wade and last game’s centurion Ben McDermott in his first over itself. From then on, it was a difficult task for the Hurricanes to chase down the target of 151 set up by the Heat. 

The fact that D’Arcy Short played slowly that even as he was the sixth man to get out, he could only manage to score 27 runs off 36 balls. The rest of the batters apart from Harry Brook didn’t do much either and had it not been for the unbeaten 33 from 20 balls by Tom Rogers, the Hurricanes might not have come even close to the total. 

Apart from Bartlett, Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman also picked three wickets and gave away only 20 runs to choke the Hurricanes’ run flow. Eventually, the hosts could get up to only 136-8 in their 20 overs. 

Earlier in the evening, after winning the toss and inviting Heat to bat first, Hurricanes had a great start as they sent all three top-order batters of the opposition back in the hut inside the powerplay itself. 

However, first Sam Heazlett (26) and later Jack Wildermuth (28) and James Bazley with his unbeaten 44 off 27 balls managed to get the blue brigade to a respectable total of 150-8. For Hurricanes, Nathan Ellis picked three wickets while Rogers picked two. 

Another game in the league between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers at the International Sports Stadium in Coffs Harbour was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.