Daniel Christian’s Big Bash League (BBL) career came to a bittersweet end as Sydney Sixers got knocked by Brisbane Heat in the Challenger clash on February 2. Michael Neser turned out to be Brisbane Heat's saviour as he rescued them from 56/5 in tricky run chase of 117 helping them with by four wickets on a tough wicket at Sydney Cricket Ground.
The run chase got off to a decent start but the run out of opener Sam Heazlett (13) in the fourth over created pressure on Brisbane. In the sixth over, other opener Josh Brown's (20) fell as well. Then 19-year-old Afghan leggie Izharulhaq Naveed took two wickets of Nathan McSweeney (5) and Sam Hain (8) to put the pressure on Brisbane. Steve OKeefe joined the party too as Brisbane found themselves struggling for 56/5.
Neser and Max Bryant tried to stitch a partnership but the latter got out to Sean Abbott in the 15th over. The equation was just over run-a-ball after 15 overs but there was not enough batting left in the Brisbane lineup. In the 16th over, Neser decided to take on left-arm pacer Hayden Kerr hitting him for four consecutive fours. The big 17-run over turned the game upside down. In the penultimate over, Neser finished the run chase with a boundary. He remained unbeaten 48 off 32 deliveries including seven fours.
Earlier in the absence of in-form Steve Smith, Sydney Sixers failed to stitch a partnership and kept on losing wickets. Neser took two wickets in the death overs whereas Spencer Johnson and Matthew Kuhnemann took three wickets each to restrict Sydney Sixers for a below par score of 116/9.
Former RCB all-rounder Christian failed to delivery with the bat as he scored just seven runs from 12 deliveries. Sixers missed the services of Smith who is in India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
“That was a tough game in the end, they are a class team. It was quite tricky to get the pace of the wicket, fortune favours the brave. Everyone’s contributed throughout the tournament and thankfully it was me this time. I thought that was the opportunity to take the game with the surge, took a punt and it worked out,” Neser said in the post-match presentation.
Brisbane Heat will now take on Perth Scorchers in the BBL 2022-23 final at Perth Stadium on February 4.
