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So, with that, we come to the end of what has been a shortened but an exhilarating season of the Big Bash League this time around! Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh and Steve O'Keefe have bid adieu to the game in this very season. Players like Xavier Bartlett have performed so well, as to get a call-up into the national team! But, the sheer quality of the league, season after season, and the kind of support at every ground, have been as strong as they get! We at Sportskeeda have loved every moment of bringing the action to you from this magnificent T20 league from Down Under and hope to do the same next season. This is the pair of Mohul and Bidipto taking your leave for now. Don't forget to join us tomorrow for more cricket from Australia as the West Indies square off in a pink-ball Test against the hosts at the Gabba. Also, there is a massive Test series starting in Hyderabad between India and England at exactly the same time! So, make sure to catch us live for that one as well. We will be thrilled to bring you every piece of the action with attention to detail!
Back-to-back BBL Finals for Brisbane Heat, they couldn't do it in Perth last time around, but, they made sure that Sydney was theirs tonight! Josh Brown, Matt Renshaw - who was allowed to play this match even after being part of the Test series for Australia against the West Indies, Nathan McSweeney and Max Bryant did their bit with the bat first up. And then of course, four match-winning bowling performances by Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann and Xavier Bartlett sealed the deal! Who can forget what Michael Neser did in the first over by taking the first wicket and then that relay catch he helped Paul Walter pull off towards the end! His cricket is rising to an all-new level. Not to forget, the Heat did not have the services of Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne in the playoffs and where comprehensively beaten by Sydney Sixers in The Qualifier. So, to have won in this fashion away from home, stamping authority after topping the group stage table, is special alright! Heartiest congratulations to them for having put together such a well-knit unit and winning only their second Big Bash League! May the success story continue into the next season as well.
Nathan McSweeney (Brisbane Heat captain): (First thoughts) Fantastic! Obviously, at this time of the year, this is where you want to be! Congratulations to the Sixers for putting in another wonderful show this season and congratulations to Steve O'Keefe for a stellar career! (On whom he would like to thank for this incredible effort) The support system has been just tremendous! The coaching staff, the boys themselves, Colin Munro who was captain for most parts and also Usman Khawaja - all of them have played their part in this win and there is no doubt about it. I've just heard that this crowd tonight is the best that Sydney has turned out for the season, so, this is pretty special to have done something remarkable in front of such a wonderful crowd!
Daniel Hughes, vice-captain of Sydney Sixers: Unfortunately, our skipper is not up here to speak. I would like to thank all our sponsors. I would also like to thank our members and our fans. Without your support, we would not have been able to do so without their win. And credit to the Heat boys- you were exceptional today. Special mention to Steve O'Keefe, who calls it a day after this game.
Spencer Johnson, Player of the Match: This is pretty special. After what happened last season, I think we have made amends here. Credit to both the batters and the bowlers for the performance that they put in. I think the Brisbane Heat have changed my life. Thanks a lot for that!
Brisbane Heat win by 54 runs with 15 balls to space and become champions of the Big Bash League, season 13!
Josh Brown 53 (38) | Spencer Johnson - 4/26 (4) Moises Henriques 25 (27) | Sean Abbott - 4/32 (4)
One cannot ask for a better bowling and fielding effort in The Final, that too in the second innings! Brisbane Heat were just superb tonight! Just superb!
Picking up Daniel Hughes in the very first over to get things started is a thing to dream of for any side defending a total and it was Michael Neser, the ever-reliable Michael Neser, who managed to nick him off through to slip!
Just when it looked as though the power play was the Sixers', Spencer Johnson came back with a bang after being taken for plenty and knocked Jack Edwards over!
Josh Philippe and skipper Moises Henriques tried to resurrect things when a reintroduction of Johnson to the bowling crease got rid of the former with extra pace!
On that slow and turning wicket, Mitchell Swepson bowled a perfect leg-spinner's delivery to stump Jordon Silk for naught and then, the big wicket of Henriques followed with an off-pace into-the-pitch delivery in the Power Surge.
Perhaps Henriques should have taken the innings deeper and opted for the Surge later, as it was Ben Dwarshuis' turn next to get caught off the hostile bowling of Johnson in the second over of the Surge!
Joel Davies played a couple of stunning shots, before holing out to deep backward square-leg against Swepson. Johnson picked up yet another wicket before finishing off his match-winning spell.
Finally, quite befittingly, Xavier Bartlett finished things off for the tournament with the last two wickets, one of which was down to some superb fielding in the deep by who else but Michael Neser, to parry the ball back to his partner at long-on for him to complete an incredible catch!
Steve O'Keefe's final game, at least for the home team, could not end on a winning note. But the Sixers were just outplayed in all three departments tonight by a Heat side which ruled the entire tournament and deservingly, clinched the title for only the second time in their history!
Brisbane Heat get the job done! They win The Final by 54 runs and take the BBL crown for the second time in their history! Quite befittingly, the most wicket taker of the tournament, Xavier Bartlett, gets the last wicket! The entire squad and its support staff are ecstatic right now and why not! All the hard work they've put in has come off this time.
18.0
17.3 Xavier Bartlett to Steve O'Keefe, THE BRISBANE HEAT WIN BBL 13! HUGE WICKET TO SEAL THE DEAL FOR THE VISITING SIDE! At a length outside off, moves away. O'Keefe clears his front leg and tries to carve it up and over long off. However, he does not connect too well. The ball goes up towards long off and is taken rather nicely! And that will be that!
Steve O'Keefe c Paul Walter b Xavier Bartlett 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6)
Steve O'Keefe, RHB, is at the crease.
Tell you what, Michael Neser just goes from strength to strength when it comes to fielding and catching, anywhere in the ground! That was a spectacular piece of fielding right there at long-on! And again, Xavier Bartlett is among the wickets!
17.2 Xavier Bartlett to Sean Abbott, ANOTHER WICKET! However, the umpires are checking its fairness. At a length on off and middle, comes back in. Abbott tries to whip it away to the on side but does not connect too well. The fielder in the deep does well to cling on to it. Neser, who is the man concerned, has done exceedingly well to take the catch, and the replays confirm it!
Sean Abbott c Paul Walter b Xavier Bartlett 16 (11b, 1x4, 1x6)
17.1 Xavier Bartlett to Sean Abbott, SIX! BANG! At a length on off and middle, comes back in. Abbott leans in and whips it away towards deep midwicket for a massive hit!
Xavier Bartlett [1.0-0-6-0] comes back into the attack.
The overs are going by and the asking rate is climbing steeply. It's all but over for the Sixers. The Heat can smell victory right now, away from home!
17
overs
106/8score
0
1
2
1
4
0
runs
Todd Murphy*
8(9)
Sean Abbott
10(9)
Paul Walter
1/24
16.6 Paul Walter to Todd Murphy, short of a length on off and middle, rises well. Murphy pulls at it but misses.
This makes the crowd more cheerful, doesn't it?
16.5 Paul Walter to Todd Murphy, FOUR! Fullish and wide outside off, moves away. Murphy leans in and carves it away wide of the fielder at cover for a boundary!
16.4 Paul Walter to Sean Abbott, very full on off and middle, comes back in. Abbott works it away towards deep midwicket for a single.
Video
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M Neser
B Dwarshuis
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Todd Murphy
*
Paul Walter
Sydney Cricket Ground
