Records have tumbled as Brisbane Heat pulled off the highest run chase in Big Bash history to claim a staggering victory against the Perth Scorchers on Friday night.
The Scorchers batted first and blasted 18 sixes in a mammoth score of 6/257, the franchise’s highest ever score and the second highest total in BBL history, behind only the Melbourne Stars’ 273 back in the 2021-22 season.
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New Zealand’s Finn Allen struck 79 off 38 balls and Scorchers young gun Cooper Connolly scored 77 off 37 balls, sending the ball into the Gabba grandstands and leaving the Heat’s bowlers lost for answers.
Heat captain Nathan McSweeney rolled his ankle while dropping a catch, ruling him out of Brisbane’s batting innings, which began with Colin Munro getting out for a golden duck.
Enter Matthew Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth, who scored at an even faster run rate than the Scorchers as six-hitting exhibition continued on a flat Gabba pitch.
Renshaw scored a century off 48 balls and celebrated passionately in front of his home crowd after joining Luke Pomersbach, Chris Lynn, Josh Brown as Heat players to score a Big Bash hundred.
“That is as good an innings as I’ve ever seen in the Big Bash League,” Shane Watson said in commentary on Kayo Sports.
“Just toying with the bowlers, hitting it to al parts of the Gabba. Take a bow, Matt Renshaw.”
Renshaw was run-out soon after reaching triple figures, caught barely a centimetre short of his ground when he dived for the crease while going for a second run.
The Queenslander was given a life on 20 when he was caught out, only to be recalled to the crease when replays showed Jhye Richardson had bowled a no-ball.
Wildermuth also got an extra chance on 42 when Scorchers captain Ashton Turner dropped a catch when the ball went a mile into the Brisbane night sky.
“That is pressure,” Brendon Julian said on Kayo Sports, describing the Heat’s run chase as “unbelievable”.
But he made the most of it, scoring a sensational hundred off 46 balls, as Wildermuth and Renshaw made history by becoming the first two teammates to score a century in the same Big Bash game.
The pair also broke the record for the highest Big Bash partnership with a 212-run stand, surpassing the 207-run partnership from the Melbourne Stars’ Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright in 2020.
The drama continued when the Heat’s Max Bryant came from the field when he was on 28 from 16 when he injured his shoulder while running between the wickets with just two balls left in the innings.
Wildermuth hit the winning runs, finishing on 110 not out (54 balls) to steer the Heat to victory with a ball to spare.
“This has just turned into an absolute flog-athon,” Watson said in commentary describing the contest as “extraordinary”.
“The ball is just getting flogged everywhere. Every batter that has come in has shown how good a pitch this is.
“Something special was going to have to happen to chase down that Scorchers score. What are we witnessing. This has been an astonishing innings
“The Brisbane Heat have unearthed something really important tonight with Wildermuth opening the batting. That’s a really great sign.
“This is absolutely mind-blowing, this game.”
Renshaw said after the eight-wicket victory: “Still don’t really believe it. Bit of a pinch-me, a lot of goosebumps.
“An incredible effort. A lot of people put us out of the contest and we probably did as well when we lost that (wicket) first ball. Just that never-say-die attitude.”
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