Melbourne Renegades 5 for 199 (Finch 71, Harris 48, Steketee 2-37) beat Brisbane Heat 198 (McCullum 64, Cutting 35, Burns 35 Perera 2-27) by one run
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sunil Narine picked up two wickets in the 19th over and set up a dramatic finish © Getty Images
Nine deliveries, 16 runs and three wickets featured in one of the most bizarre final overs in BBL history. But the Melbourne Renegades kept their finals hopes alive with a nail-biting one-run win over the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.
The equation was simple at the beginning of the final over. The Heat needed 18 runs to secure a home final. Nathan Rimmington needed to defend 16 or less to keep the Renegades alive.
Rimmington did his job, but only just. He bowled four wides, conceded two sixes, took the wicket of Joe Burns and completed two run outs in roller-coaster ride that would have left the most adventurous of thrill-seekers feeling nauseous.
It had been a night for the batsmen. The Renegades had set a big total of 199 on the back of a stunning opening stand from Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris. They scored 106 runs in just nine overs before Harris fell.
The Heat then trumped that start with the second-highest score in the Powerplay in BBL history. Brendon McCullum and Sam Heazlett took 84 from the first five overs of the chase. The Renegades pulled it back courtesy outstanding spells from Thisara Perera and Brad Hogg. Extraordinary hitting from Ben Cutting and Joe Burns and some rain then added to the drama of the final overs but the Renegades somehow held their nerve.
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The final over of the match from Rimmington had to be seen to be believed. The Renegades had lost three final-over thrillers this season with Finch, Perera and James Pattinson all entrusted with the final six balls and all conceding the winning runs. Finch turned to Rimmington for this over instead of Pattinson after Perera, one of their best bowlers on the night, had bowled out. Rimmington had bowled an excellent 18th over, conceding just eight runs and removing Cutting, who had scored a rampaging 35 from 18 balls and was threatening to end the Renegades’ season. Burns was 23 from 19 balls and had only found the boundary once, so the Renegades were favourites.
Full report to follow
Alex Malcolm is a freelance writer based in Perth
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo