Brisbane Heat opener Josh Brown reserved his best for the Big Bash League (BBL) 2023-24 Challenger encounter against Adelaide Strikers. The batter whose previous best T20 score was 62 smashed a scintillating 57-ball 140 knock helping Brisbane Heat post a massive total of 214/7 on the board. The 30-year-old hit 12 sixes, the most by a batter in an innings in BBL history.
The previous record belonged to T20 legend Chris Gayle who hit 11 sixes for Sydney Thunder against Adelaide Strikers in BBL 2011-12. Craig Simmons had hit 11 sixes for Perth Scorchers against Sydney Sixers in BBL 2013-14. Chris Lynn is the only other batter to hit 11 sixes in an innings twice without scoring a century.
Brown's 140-run knock is also the third-highest individual score by a batter in BBL history. He is only behind Marcus Stoinis (147 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (154) on the list.
Brown used the powerplay overs well while Nathan McSweeney played himself in. He reached his half-century from 22 balls. He did it with a six off Matthew Short in the ninth over of the innings. He went berserk in the middle overs and reached his century from just 41 balls. It is the second-fastest ton in BBL history.
Brown had a chance to go past Stoinis and even break Maxwell's record. In the 17th over, David Payne took his wicket. His 57-ball 140 was laced with 10 fours and 12 sixes. When Brown departed, Brisbane Heat were 192/3. In the slog overs, they suffered a batting collapse and could add only 22 runs to the score losing four wickets as well.
Brown is also the third batter to score a century for Brisbane Heat. Luke Pomersbach achieved it first with an unbeaten 112 against Melbourne Renegades in BBL 2013-14. Lynn achieved the feat against Hobart Hurricanes with a 101-run knock in BBL 2015-2016.
Interestingly, Brown had gotten starts but not scored a single half-century in the season so far. So far, he has scored just one half-century in his T20 career which started in BBL 2022-23.
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