Bowlers, Lynn swat aside Brisbane Heat
Adelaide Strikers dismantled Brisbane Heat by seven wickets in a clinical performance at home to break their long-standing New Years Eve jinx. A masterful bowling display and a vintage Chris Lynn knock helped chase down a modest target of 122 with nearly six overs to spare, propelling them into the top-four of the Big Bash League standings.
Having won the toss and elected to bowl, Adelaide's decision paid immediate dividends as their pace attack tore through the Heat's top order. The visitors were left reeling at 5 for 21 within the first six overs, effectively ending the contest before the sun had set. Liam Scott and Jamie Overton were the primary architects of the collapse. Scott was particularly impressive, finishing his four overs with remarkable figures of 2 for 12, while Overton claimed 3 for 19.
Heat's misery was compounded by the dismissal of their danger man, Matt Renshaw, who was caught short of his crease by a brilliant piece of direct-hit fielding from Lynn. With half the side back in the pavilion, the Heat were forced into a desperate rebuilding phase. Hugh Weibgen and Matthew Kuhnemann provided some late resistance, guiding the team past the triple-figure mark.
Weibgen's gritty 28 and Kuhnemann's unbeaten 31 off 22 balls - which included three maximums - gave Heat a total they could at least attempt to defend. However, the Strikers' bowlers never truly let the pressure slip, eventually bowling out the visitors for 121 with two balls to spare in their innings.
The second half of the match belonged entirely to Lynn, who delivered a masterclass against his former franchise. While Matthew Short and Mackenzie Harvey fell after making starts, Lynn remained immovable at the crease. He reached several personal milestones during the innings, becoming the first player in BBL history to surpass 4,000 career runs while also crossing 1,000 runs for the Strikers. His unbeaten 79 came off just 41 deliveries, featuring six boundaries and six towering sixes that delighted the holiday crowd.
Despite Brisbane's attempts to dry up the runs through spin, Lynn took control during the Power Surge, effectively killing off the game with a flurry of boundaries. He was supported at the end by Scott, who remained unbeaten on 7. Together they sealed the victory with 35 balls remaining, with the win proving a massive boost to their net run rate.
Brief scores: Brisbane Heat 121 all out in 19.4 overs (Matthew Kuhnemann 31, Hugh Weibgen 28; Jamie OVerton 3-19, Liam Scott 2-12, Hasan Ali 2-29) lost to Adelaide Strikers 125/3 in 14.1 overs (Chris Lynn 79*) by 7 wickets
