Bryant And Bartlett Combine Late Fireworks As Heat End Stars’ Unbeaten Run

Brisbane Heat battled back from 195 for 6 to beat Melbourne Stars, who finished on 199 for 6, by a four-wicket margin after a dramatic turnaround. The decisive burst came from Max Bryant and Xavier Bartlett, who added 66 runs in just 25 deliveries to finish the chase under immense pressure.

Bryant finished unbeaten on 48 off 26 balls as the side that he was steering won the game and he enjoyed some luck early in his innings. Replays later showed that he edged Peter Siddle while on 2, but the Stars chose not to review after only a muted appeal from Sam Harper.

Late Overs Drama Flips The Script

With five overs remaining, Heat still needed 76 runs and looked in trouble. Bryant struck 16 off Siddle’s final over, leaving 27 runs required from 12 balls. Late power then followed with Bartlett hitting 21 off 9 balls, a towering six, and a crisp boundary off Mitchell Swepson, and that brought back some hope.

He went after Tom Curran in the penultimate over, while Bryant answered the moment again with a massive cut shot over the boundary.

During the last over, Haris Rauf bowled with Heat needing 10 runs. The third ball saw Bryant striking a six to tie the game, but with two balls remaining, Bryant hit the winning boundary.

"It is pretty cool in your home stadium in front of a packed house," Bryant said. "We knew we were only two or three sixes away from catching up, and luckily it came off. I did nick one there early on in my innings. Luckily, they didn't review it."

The win moved the Heat to six points with a record of W3-L3 and into fourth place.

Stars Post A Strong Target

Earlier, Melbourne Stars rallied late through debutant Blake Macdonald, making 37 not out off 12, and Hilton Cartwright, who made 26 not out of 20. Their stand of 58 from 22 balls took the total to 195 for 6.

Heat slipped midway through the chase when Nathan McSweeney had been out 43 and Matt Renshaw 41. They were quite comfortable at 103 for 2 in the 12th over, but seven balls later they were 109 for 5.

Peter Siddle, aged 41, became the joint leading wicket taker of the season with 10, and missed another when Bryant’s early edge went unseen. McSweeney, returning from an ankle injury, looked fluent before one wrong stroke against Siddle cost him. Swepson delivered a key spell, deceiving Renshaw with a wrong'un and taking two wickets in an over that seemed decisive at the time.

Heat Bowlers Fight Back

Stars were sent in, continuing the trend of teams choosing to bowl first, marking the 39th straight such occasion, and they raced to 47 for 0 at the end of the powerplay.

Young Heat quick Thomas Balkin removed Harper for 37 off 23 to pull things back. Matt Kuhnemann slowed the scoring effectively, while Renshaw chipped in by bowling opener Tom Rogers. Kuhnemann finished superbly with 1 for 22, showcasing excellent control following his T20 World Cup squad selection.

Marcus Stoinis compiled 43 in a more measured style, and the Power Surge turned the contest again, with Bartlett and 19-year-old Oli Patterson combining for 2 for 9 to halt momentum.

That control created the opportunity for the late chase, and Bryant and Bartlett seized it with authority.