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WATCH | Heat debutant steps up and does the business
SEN • December 28th, 2025 9:13 am
Brisbane Heat debutant Thomas Balkin bowled a near-perfect final over to help his side beat the Adelaide Strikers by seven runs at the Gabba.
With the Strikers requiring 10 runs off the final six balls, 21-year-old Balkin stepped up to the plate and delivered in his first BBL outing.
He took two wickets for two runs, denying the Strikers with his accurate bowling at the death.
Batting first, the Heat put on 9/179 thanks to a superb 63 off 32 balls from Max Bryant who smashed four fours and as many sixes.
He was aided by Matt Renshaw’s steady 33 (off 21) while five other Heat batters made it to double figures.
Matt Short bowled well for the Strikers with 2/13 off three. Luke Wood (2/43) and Hasan Ali (2/36) were also busy with the ball.
In response, Strikers skipper Short did everything in his power to get his team off to a flyer, smashing 63 off 36 with five fours and a pair of sixes.
Fellow opener Chris Lynn made 22 (off 24) while in his second BBL match Jerrssis Wadia (34 off 16) batted well and Harry Manenti (24 off 12) contributed, but in the end the Strikers were no match for star Heat quick Xavier Bartlett.
He dismissed top three Short, Lynn and Mackenzie Harvey (0) on his way to figures of 3/26 and Player of the Match honours as the Strikers were all out for 172 in the final over.
His strike partner, prized recruit Shaheen Shah Afridi, left the field with a knee injury which dampened the Heat win.
But Bartlett got to see the future in Balkin who took 2/30 off 3.5 in his BBL bow.
The Heat sit third with a 2-2 record while the Strikers are struggling in seventh with one win from three outings.
The two teams next meet at the Adelaide Oval on New Year’s Eve.
