Dan Christian`s Comeback Got Spoiled By Matt Renshaw And Max Bryant
Dan Christian’s nearly flawless comeback to competitive cricket was spoiled right at the finish by the electric pairing of Max Bryant and Matt Renshaw, as Brisbane Heat broke their winless streak with an impressive comeback at the Gabba against Sydney Thunder. Struggling to score at just six runs per over at the midway point, the Heat erupted with 120 runs from just 8.5 overs in the latter half to secure an easy victory.
Choosing to bowl first, the Heat got off to a solid start by dismissing Oliver Davies early. However, Matthew Gilkes came out aggressively, and soon after, Warner joined in the action with consecutive boundaries off Mitchell Swepson. Spencer Johnson then entered the attack and quickly took care of Gilkes, while Sam Billings followed suit shortly after, miscuing a pull shot and ending up with a top edge.
Even as Warner continued to keep the scoreboard moving, Matthew Khunemann struck a blow to the batting side by taking the important wickets of Sherfane Rutherford and Hugh Weibgen. Warner remained a significant presence as the innings approached its closing stages, utilizing a free hit against Johnson to reach his fifty, but the pacer triumphed in the end when the veteran attempted a cheeky reverse sweep and was bowled.
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Thunder found themselves at 129/7 and were in danger of not even reaching 150 before Tom Andrews helped out with a four and a six. After his exit, it was Christian’s turn as the 41-year-old hit two sixes in the second last over, astonishing the opposition before Ferguson’s boundary helped them surpass the 170-mark.
In addition to his crucial batting contribution in his first match since coming out of retirement to support the Thunder, whose squad was hit by injuries, Christian also made an impact with the ball during his opening over. Nathan McSweeney fell victim to his attempt to scoop a delivery, handing his wicket to the veteran, which left the Heat at 23/2 after just four overs. It was challenging to score runs, and Colin Munro soon followed, failing to break free. By the end of the tenth over, the Heat had managed only 53 on the scoreboard as Bryant and a struggling Renshaw opted for the power surge.
Their fortunes dramatically shifted as Renshaw finally found his rhythm with consecutive boundaries off Wes Agar, quickly followed by Bryant hitting a four and a six in the same over. That 20-run over provided the home side with some necessary momentum, which they capitalized on heavily. Lockie Ferguson and Tom Andrews were the next to face the consequences as the pressure completely shifted within just three overs.
Thunder had to depend on Christian to halt the barrage, but Wes Agar returned to give an uneven over where both Bryant and Renshaw capitalized. Bryant, in particular, was ruthless, quickly speeding ahead of his partner after he tore Chris Green apart in a 22-run over. Ferguson briefly gave his side a sliver of hope by getting Bryant lbw with a well-placed full delivery, yet a six each from Tom Alsop and Renshaw helped seal the game for the batting side.
