- Josh Brown played a magnificent innings, and the Heat set a target of 167 runs for victory.
- Spencer Johnson’s impressive 4-26 was crucial in getting favorite players out.
Brisbane defeated the Sydney Sixers by 54 runs in the championship game to win their first Big Bash League crown in eleven years. In front of a record 43,153 spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Heat defeated the Sixers for 112 runs in the 18th over while defending their 8-166 total. Before its foreign stars left before the final, Brisbane had gone unbeaten in the first nine rounds of the season, so this triumph is fitting. Nonetheless, the team paid tribute to its deceased players. In a pivotal match on Wednesday, opening batsman Josh Brown and fast bowler Spencer Johnson unleashed a torrent to force Adelaide to bat. Brown set the stage for the Heat with a 53-run performance off of 38 balls. Johnson had earlier in the game recorded his best BBL numbers of 4-26, which eliminated any chance the Sixers would be able to pursue the goal.
Following the powerplay, Brown had a brilliant inning despite getting off to a poor start, scoring 50 runs off of 32 balls. Three sixes were struck by the right-handed batsman, two over long-on and one over backward square leg. The Sixers’ aspirations were crushed by his innings, as Matt Renshaw (40 out of 22) and Max Bryant (29 out of 19) gave up under duress. After a review, it was discovered that Brown had been hit by a delivery from Steve O’Keefe before he cut it. This was Brown’s 99th and last wicket for the now-retired spin bowler. Brown, 30, made his debut last season and, following an outstanding 140-run inning against the Strikers on Monday, attracted offers from foreign clubs in Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. Johnson, the only player who can match Brown’s speed, has advanced more quickly in contrast. The 27-year-old has been playing for Australia since he made his BBL debut last year at the age of 27.
The show on Wednesday night made that clear. As the Man of the Match, Johnson, a left-handed hitter, soon broke the back of the Sixers by dismissing Jack Edwards for 16 runs. In the first five balls of the over, the Sixers had scored 13 runs. In addition, he removed Ben Dwarshuis and Hayden Kerr by taking Josh Philippe for 22 runs, catching him in the mid-wicket after picking up speed and bounce. Johnson’s wickets destroyed any chance the Sixers had of reaching the objective, and the only batsman to score 25 was skipper Moises Henriques, who was stricken with COVID-19. Jordan Silk was dismissed by Mitchell Swepson (2-19) with a well timed delivery, and on the fourth ball, he was bowled out for zero. The Sixers have only won three championships in seven finals, whereas the Heat won after losing in the last over of the previous year’s championship. Sean Abbott’s 4-32 innings put an end to the hosts, but even though they held the home team to 167 runs, their difficulties on a low-scoring field this season made it a difficult match.