In a fierce clash at the Gabba, brisbane heat edged out melbourne stars Defeated by four wickets in the 20th match of Big Bash League|15 On January 2, 2026, the target of 196 runs was achieved with only two balls remaining. Brisbane Heat, who won the toss and bowled first, restricted the Stars to 195/6 before setting up a tense chase that enthralled 31,948 fans. max bryantHis unbeaten inning of 48 runs in 26 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes proved to be decisive in this exciting match.
Melbourne Stars set competitive target for Brisbane Heat
Playing with clear intent, the Stars scored 195 runs for six wickets and took full advantage of the powerplay, scoring 47 runs without any loss in the first four overs. Sam Harper He set the initial pace by playing a quick inning of 37 runs in 23 balls with the help of five fours and a six and made an opening partnership of 52 runs. thomas rogersWho added 13 runs. This partnership broke in the sixth over when Thomas Balkin Harper clean bowled. marcus stoinis After this he took the responsibility by scoring 43 runs in 35 balls. campbell callaway He increased the pace by playing a quickfire innings of 29 runs with the help of six fours in just 14 balls. Their 53-run partnership for the third wicket took the Stars past 100 by the 11th over, however glen maxwell Failed to go.
The Heat countered strongly in the middle stage. Xavier Bartlett While Stoinis is responsible for Matthew Renshaw And Matthew Kuhnman Provided important breakthroughs, taking the score from 113 for four to 137 for six tom curran Departure for two. stability returned late hilton cartwright Remained unbeaten after scoring 26 runs on 20 balls blake macdonald He performed explosively late and scored unbeaten 37 runs with the help of four fours and two sixes in 12 balls. Their unbroken 58-run partnership in just 19 balls took the Stars to a huge total at a run rate of 9.75. Kuhnman impressed with figures of 1 for 22, but the Stars’ late lead ensured a tough challenge under lights.
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Max Bryant’s explosive innings puts Brisbane Heat ahead of Melbourne Stars in BBL|15
Brisbane Heat suffered an early blow as their innings faltered in the early stages and the wicket of Jack Wildermuth fell for 15 runs. Peter Siddall And Colin Munro Only for 3, undo tom curranTo slide to 34 for 2 inside the powerplay. captain nathan mcsweeney He steadied the ship with a composed innings of 43 runs from 31 balls, with solid support from Renshaw, who scored 41 runs from 27 balls. The duo put together a vital partnership of 69 runs for the third wicket, taking the Heat to 103 for 3 by the 12th over after completing their half-century in just 5.5 overs.
when the pace changed again Michelle Swepson struck out twice, dismissing both set batsmen, leaving the Heat at 107 for 4 Hugh Wiebgen Immediately after this the score became 109 runs for 5 wickets. the pressure increased further jimmy pearson Falling on 14, Haris was caught off the bowling of Rauf, leaving the total score at 133 for 6.
Then Bryant turned the game upside down. Bryant played an unbeaten inning of 48 runs in 26 balls and hit four sky-high sixes, including the decisive six in the 17th over, taking the score beyond 150 in 16.5 overs. Bartlett played a quickfire 21 not out off 9 balls, as the pair added an impressive 66 runs in just 20 balls for the seventh wicket. Heat scored 199 runs for 6 wickets in 19.4 overs at a brisk pace of 10.11. Despite Siddle and Swepson taking two wickets each, Bryant’s explosive strike rate of 184.61 was the star touch and gave Brisbane Heat their tightest finish ever in BBL|15.
An excellent win for Brisbane Heat 🔥🔥#bbl15 pic.twitter.com/NgTHLYezmF
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 2 January 2026
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