Renegades Take Control Early
From the very beginning, Melbourne Renegades had the fortune of having won the toss, and chose to send Brisbane in first to bat. Melbourne then wasted no time in commanding the course of the match, as they claimed their first wicket in just the 2nd ball of the 1st over.
Brendon McCullum had just managed to amass 5 runs before a failed attempt at a sweep caused the ball to find its way underneath his bat and into the middle stump, for a brilliant early dismissal by Tom Cooper.
The wickets would then start to pour in, two-by-two for the Renegades, as Sam Heazlett fell two overs later, only to be followed by Jimmy "JJ" Peirson after another two overs had passed.
Player of the match, Jack Wildermuth, was the bowler responsible for both dismissals, setting up a catch for Aaron Finch at extra cover in the first, and bowling Peirson with the second, sending the Renegades fans into a frenzy.
Alex Ross Lands Top Score for the Heat
Just when Brisbane looked as though they had lost their Heat entirely, Australian middle order batsman, Alex Ross, stepped up to the plate in heroic style.
He held the fort steadily with Marcus Labuschagne to yield a partnership that endured for 39 runs. Despite the dismissal of Labuschagne, Ross batted on alongside Ben Cutting, to produce one run short of his previous partnership, at 38.
Having survived the dismissal of yet another partner in the person of Josh Lalor, it was not until the 19th over that Ross finally surrendered having brought the Heat to 127 runs. With Dwayne Bravo on a hat trick, Ross failed to anticipate a full delivery on off stump, causing the ball to veer straight into his stumps.
Renegades Face Early Threat
The Heat was brought at the turn of the innings, as Shad Khan laid claim to his two wickets of the match, within the space of the 1st four overs.
He spun Aaron Finch so out of control nearing the end of the 2nd over that he could only manage to get an edge to it before it landed in the hands of JJ Peirson, the wicketkeeper. He would then end up with a strike of luck in the 4th over, bowling Marcus Harris with a less-than-impressive short ball that caused the batsman to hesitate and throw the bat at it, giving up the 2nd wicket for the Heat.
White & Cooper Set Things Straight
Despite early "Christmas-Eve-jitters", Cameron White and Tom Cooper were sure to rein in the sleigh of emotion that overcame their openers, and bring the gifts home just in time for peace and goodwill to still be in order.
The pair would have completed the task of clearing away the chase target on their own, had it not been for the easy catch by Mark Steketee at long-off in the 16th over, marking an end to a joint stand of 85 runs.
Brad Hodge made a cameo appearance to add 9 runs and help Cooper finish the job—a feat they pulled off with almost 2 overs left.
Brisbane Heat face Sydney Thunder on December 27, while the Renegades are set to contend with Perth Scorchers on the 29th.
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