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Low-scoring affairs can get interesting very quickly if there is a batting collapse. The Big Bash League (BBL) 2021-22 clash between Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat was one such affair. After bundling out Brisbane for a score of 105 in 19.1 overs, Sydney were expected to chase down the target with overs to spare and boost their net run rate. However, a batting collapse of epic proportions made the run chase go down the wire.
Unbelievable collapse
Chasing 106, Sixers lost both their openers for a duck. Josh Philippe got out off the second ball of the first over to Mark Steketee whereas James Vince registered a golden duck as he got out of the first ball of the second over to Xavier Bartlett. Daniel Hughes took the cautious but the dot ball pressure got the better of him as he was dismissed after scoring six runs from 13 deliveries. Skipper Moises Henriques tried to play the role of an anchor but Jordan Silk and Daniel Christian disappointed him.
In the eighth over, Henriques lost the battle as well as he got outsmarted by Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Lower order batters Hayden Kerr and Shadab Khan failed to do damage control as well getting out in single digits. With 47/8 in 12.5 overs, Brisbane were expected to register a T20 win for the ages but the ninth partnership stood up to the task to create BBL history.
Brave counter-attack creates BBL record
Sean Abbott was taking his time in the middle when Ben Dwarshuis came to bat in the 13th over. Abbott had played 20 deliveries and scored just six runs. At the end of 13th over, Sixers needed 58 more runs to win the match from 42 deliveries. Not only they did not have many wickets in the hand, the required run rate was challenging as well.
The comeback started from the 15th over after playing out Mujeeb when Dwarshuis launched the first real counter-attack of the match. The no.10 batsman hit Steketee for a six and a four and Sixers accumulated 12 runs. The Sixers did not take the foot off the pedal as Abbott took the attacking approach to hit Bartlett for two fours and one six. After the 18-run 16th over, Sixers sniffed victory with 24 more runs to win off 24 deliveries.
The panic from Brisbane continued as James Bazley went for nine runs after bowling three economical overs. Steketee tried to make up for it with the three-run 18th over but Dwarshuis getting a lucky boundary off outside edge in the penultimate over to put the pressure back on the fielding side. Dwarshuis got a single off the second ball of the last over to level the scores. Bartlett kept Brisbane fans interested till the last delivery by bowling three consecutive deliveries but the last ball was a touch off the mark and it was enough for Dwarshuis to find the gap and get his team over the line.
Scoring the winning runs, Abbott remained unbeaten for 37 off 43 deliveries whereas Dwarshuis scored 23 runs from 20 balls. The unbeaten 59-run partnership is the highest ninth-wicket stand in a winning cause. The record for highest ninth-wicket partnership belongs to Mujeeb and Jimmy Pierson. The two shared a 61-run partnership in the last season.
Dwarshuis, Abbott did the trick with ball too
Earlier in the first innings, Brisbane suffered a top order collapse and were reduced to 21/4. Ben Duckett, Max Bryant and Jack Wildermuth got good starts but failed to convert. Dwarshuis got rid of both openers whereas Abbott got four wickets in the innings.
