BBL10 | Hurricanes vs Heat: Mujeeb's 5-wicket haul goes in vain as HH register 1-run victory

Hobart Hurricanes held their nerves and snatched victory by a solitary run in the 20^th match of Big Bash League against the Brisbane Heat. Fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other but in the end, it was the tiniest of margins which helped Hurricanes register their fourth win of the tournament. With the bat in hand, it was Tim David and Dawid Malan who ensured that the Hurricanes reached a respectable total of 150. In the bowling department, it was the raw pace of Riley Meredith who accounted for 3 crucial wickets and was instrumental in wiping out their top order. Despite a valiant effort from James Bazley, the Brisbane Heat eventually fell short by just one run.

Earlier in the day, it was Brisbane Heat skipper Jimmy Pierson who won the toss and put the Hobart Hurricanes in to bat first. They started off in a disastrous note losing the wicket of D’Arcy Short in the second delivery of the match and Xavier Bartlett made good use of the new ball.  In came David Malan who joined Ben McDermott in the middle and started taking on the bowlers with his sensational strokeplay. He timed everything to perfection and it was a sight to behold to watch him in full flow.

He shared a stand of 27 runs with McDermott before the latter’s dismissal. In came skipper Peter Handsomb and along with Malan he tried to resurrect the innings and played some delightful shots in the process carving out the field to pick up runs. He started off with a couple of good shots but was unable to carry on and was dismissed on 18.

Colin Ingram joined Malan in the middle and looked to keep the scoring rate up. However, it was Mujeeb Ur Rahman who spun a web around the Hobart Hurricanes batsmen and pushed them on the mat. After dismissing McDermott, Mujeeb castled Malan with an unplayable delivery which turned just enough to miss his bat and disturbed the timbers.

From there on, Mujeeb was all over the Hurricanes as he kept chipping away with some crucial wickets to never really allowed the Hurricanes to press on the accelerator. Wickets kept tumbling but Tim David provided the much-needed momentum for the Hurricanes with a breezy knock of 36 of a mere 17 deliveries. He looked in ominous touch and was in a murderous mood during his brief stay in the crease. His knock was laced with 2 fours and 3 sixes and was ably supported by Colin Ingram.

The last few wickets fell very cheaply for the Hurricanes as an unplayable Mujeeb weaved his magic wand and finished with his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, ensuring that the Hobart Hurricanes were skittled out for 150 before the end of their allotted 20 overs. Barring Mujeeb, Xavier Bartlett also chipped in with a couple of wickets.

The target of 151 was not a big one and the Brisbane Heat would have backed themselves to chase it down. However, what followed next was just what the doctor ordered for the Hurricanes. Within the 3^rd over, Brisbane Heat was reduced to 8/3 and it looked like a mountain too steep to climb for them. Riley Meredith was quite exceptional in his opening spell as he bagged the wicket of Sam Heazlett and it was the pressure which he created which helped Keemo Paul and Scott Boland to chip in with some crucial wickets.

The pressure kept mounting for the Heat’s but the pair of Lewis Gregory and Max Bryant had other ideas They steadied the ship with a 52 runs stand and it regenerated the hopes for the Brisbane based franchise. Both Bryant and Gregory fell in quick succession which again tilted the scales in favour of the Hurricanes

However, it was the partnership between James Bazley and Jimmy Pierson who turned the game on its head. Bazley, in particular, played a sensational knock and started attacking the Hurricanes. He applied the pressure well and the Hurricanes found it difficult to get his wicket. Bazley smacked 49 of 31 deliveries and shared a good stand with Pierson.

When Pierson’s wicket fell, the Heat’s was still well and truly in the game. They were actually a bit ahead in the 9 ball game but a cluster of wickets towards the end meant that they fell short of the target by a whisker. With 2 required off the final delivery, Mark Steketee was run out by the barest of margins which ensured a 1 run victory for the Hobart Hurricanes.

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