Munro heroics can’t drag Heat over line against Thunder

A magnificent batting performance from Brisbane opener Colin Munro wasn’t quite enough to help the bottom-placed Heat avoid another KFC BBL|12 defeat to Sydney Thunder.

Two days after beating Brisbane by 10 wickets, the Thunder saluted again at Metricon Stadium on Thursday night, winning by 11 runs despite a sensational 98 from Munro.

The visitors made the Heat regret their decision to bowl first as they brought up their biggest score of the season to date (6-182). In response, Brisbane fell just short on 9-171.

Magnificent Munro falls just short of ton

However the result came at a cost for the Thunder after strike bowler Gurinder Sandhu sustained a left calf strain bowling the first ball of the Heat innings, putting his availability for the match against Hobart Hurricanes on Saturday in doubt.

Things looked dire for the Heat when they slumped to 2-14 in the second over but Munro was undeterred by his team’s predicament, ensuring the Heat kept going at a good rate with spectacular hitting as wickets tumbled around him.

Munro played a lone hand for the Heat, smacking three sixes and nine fours, and going at a strike rate of 185 in his 53-ball innings.

Unfortunately for the New Zealander, though, few of his teammates stuck around to help in the run chase, with James Bazley (29 off 24 balls) the only one who provided meaningful support, combining for a 48-run sixth-wicket partnership.

After Sydney spinners Chris Green (1-20 from four overs) and Usman Qadir (1-30 from four) put the brakes on between the 13th and 16th overs, as the Heat’s required run rate exceeded 12.5 as they went 26 balls without a boundary.

And when Qadir had Bazley plumb lbw with 16 balls to go, the Heat’s assignment became very difficult.

A controversial ball change in the final over brought about an immediate result as Nathan McAndrew (4-32 from four) had Munro caught at deep mid-wicket – one of three wickets to fall in the space of five balls.

Gilkes gets horizontal to dismiss opposite number

Earlier, late fireworks from Daniel Sams (36 off 15 balls), Alex Ross (25 off 12) and Oliver Davies (16 off 10) helped propel the Thunder to their imposing score.

Sams was especially destructive, hammering four sixes, including back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Swepson, one of which sailed into the second tier.

Earlier in the innings, Rilee Rossouw (39 off 35) and Matthew Gilkes (37 off 35) combined for a 57-run second-wicket partnership to lay down a solid foundation for the Thunder.

James Bazley, who was the only inclusion to the Heat line-up for this match, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-22 from his four overs and finding himself on a hat-trick in the final over.

Wicketkeeper Gilkes also took one of the catches of the season when he dove to his left at full stretch and snaffled a spectacular one-handed grab to dismiss Heat captain Jimmy Peirson attempting to hook McAndrew down the leg side.