Matt Renshaw’s brilliant boundary off the final ball has secured Brisbane Heat a crucial three-wicket win over Melbourne Stars to help keep its BBL finals dream alive.
Chasing 160 for victory, the visitors stuttered and surged several times before reaching their target in a dramatic finish at the MCG on Monday night.
Renshaw was the match winner, top scoring with an unbeaten 90 from 56 deliveries in a total of 7-160.
Needing nine off the last over, Heat was helped by the Stars being limited to four men outside the circle because of a slow over rate.
Beau Webster further helped its cause when he began the 20th over with a wide.
But Heat still needed four off the last ball and Renshaw delivered, scooping Webster’s final delivery over the in-field to the rope.
Renshaw was given a lifeline on 47 when he was dropped by Clint Hinchliffe, who misjudged the flight of the ball in the deep.
The Stars also failed to run out Renshaw on 63 when Adam Zampa couldn’t gather Nathan Coulter-Nile’s throw with the batter well short of his ground after a mix-up with Jimmy Peirson.
The 83-run partnership between Renshaw and Peirson (22 from 18) was vital before the former steered his side home with the tailenders.
Renshaw’s innings included six fours and four sixes.
Brisbane’s win came despite Test duo Usman Khawaja (14) and Marnus Labuschagne (six) failing to fire with the bat.
It improved Heat’s record to 4-6-1, while the Stars (3-9) are out of the finals mix in last spot on the ladder.
Earlier, Nick Larkin top scored for the Stars with 58 from 36 deliveries in a total of 7-159.
Michael Neser (4-25) was outstanding for Heat during the powerplay and power surge, taking 3-11 from his three overs with fielding restrictions in place.
But Larkin took 14 runs from the first four balls of Neser’s final over – the last of the innings – before the Test quick finally got his revenge by dismissing the Stars batter.
Webster (36 off 34) and Tom Rogers (26 off 23) did some damage for the Stars, as did James Seymour (13 off 6), whose brief innings included two sixes.
Neser claimed the wickets of Webster and Coulter-Nile in consecutive deliveries during the 16th over but missed out on what would have been his second hat-trick of the season.
The Stars were without high-profile all-rounder Marcus Stoinis for a fourth consecutive match because of a hamstring injury.
Stoinis was named in the extended squad but was not included in the final team after pulling up sore following a fitness test.
The post Matt Renshaw hailed as last-ball hero in Brisbane Heat win appeared first on The New Daily.
