Brisbane Heat pulled off the biggest chase in Big Bash League history at the Gabba on Friday, overhauling 258 in a 515-run spectacle that produced a record 36 sixes.
After Perth Scorchers posted 257 for 6, Heat stormed home to 258 for 2 with one ball to spare to win by eight wickets, powered by centuries from Matt Renshaw (102 off 51) and Jack Wildermuth (110 not out off 54) in a chase that rewrote the competition’s record book.
Perth’s innings was driven by Finn Allen (79 off 38) and Cooper Connolly (77 off 37), who traded blows in a second-wicket stand of 142 off 64 balls and collectively struck 14 sixes.
Xavier Bartlett led Heat’s bowling effort with 2 for 44, while Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with 1 for 49 from four overs as all five Heat bowlers conceded at least 11 an over. The Scorchers’ total was, briefly, the second-highest in BBL history.
Heat’s chase began with an immediate setback when Colin Munro fell to Jhye Richardson off the first delivery, but the momentum swung when Richardson later had Renshaw caught off a no-ball on 20.
Renshaw and Wildermuth then took control with sustained power-hitting, adding a record 212-run partnership, the highest for any wicket in BBL history, as Heat became the first side in the competition to feature two centuries in a single run chase.
The target of 258 was the highest successfully chased in BBL history, eclipsing the previous record of 230, and it was also the third-highest successful chase in T20 cricket overall.
Both teams hit 18 sixes each, taking the match total to 36, a new BBL record, while the 515 aggregate was the first 500-plus match total in the league and only the sixth men’s T20 game in which both sides posted 250-plus totals.
The night also featured costly misses and injury setbacks. Heat captain Nathan McSweeney injured his left ankle while dropping a high ball late in the innings and was unable to bat, while Max Bryant retired hurt with a shoulder injury during the chase.
Scorchers captain Ashton Turner also dropped Wildermuth on 42, giving Heat another crucial reprieve on a night when the bat dominated throughout.
