Munro 98 in vain as Thunder hold nerve at the death

Sydney Thunder 182 for 6 (Rossouw 39, Sams 36*, Bazley 4-22) beat Brisbane Heat 171 for 9 (Munro 98, McAndrew 4-31) by 11 runs

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

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

Thunder made Heat regret their decision to bowl first as they brought up their biggest score of the season. But the result came at a cost for 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 with Hobart Hurricanes on Saturday in doubt.

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

Munro played a lone hand for 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, hardly any 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 with Munro.

After spinners Chris Green and Usman Qadir put the brakes on between the 13th and 16th overs, 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, Heat’s assignment became very difficult.

A controversial ball change in the final over brought about an immediate result as Nathan McAndrew had Munro caught at deep midwicket – one of three wickets to fall in the space of five balls.

Late fireworks from Daniel Sams, Alex Ross and Oliver Davies helped propel 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 and Matthew Gilkes combined for a 57-run second-wicket partnership to lay down a solid foundation for Thunder.

James Bazley, who was the only inclusion to Heat’s line-up for this match, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 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.