A brilliant half century of the English import Sam Billings and a spectacular first 11 balls in the BBL by Saqib Mahmood gave the Thunder a convincing victory over the Heat
A breathtaking opening spell of the young English fast Saqib Mahmood has the Sydney Thunder helped to a convincing win over the Brisbane Heat at Gabba on Sunday evening.
The 24-year-old, who once had the best bowling figures from Thunder, destroyed the top order of the Heat with four wickets in his first 11 balls in the KFC BBL.
The promising English prospect, who reportedly can reach speeds of up to 150 km / h, played his first game for the Thunder after defeating the England Lions in a Tour match against Australia A in last week Brisbane had represented.
He was greeted at the bowling alley by Chris Lynn with his first ball – and the first ball of the innings of the Heat as they set out to the imposing e 7-196 the Thunder hit – over the point to the limit.
But it was Mahmood who had the last laugh when Lynn spooned an easy mid-off chance two balls later.
It caused a notable breakdown when compatriot Ben Duckett (2) retired after the fifth ball of the over when he chipped a simple catch to the point. It got worse for the heat when Mahmood returned for his second over when the in form Sam Heazlett missed a pull shot to the square leg and failed with five, his first score under 30 for the tournament.
As if there wasn’t already enough chaos, Max Bryant and X-Factor caused Sub Tom Cooper – who replaced the English importer Tom Abell after he was injured on the field – pitched a little more with the next ball.
Luck went on Mahmood’s path when Brisbane captain Jimmy Peirson got a ball off flicked his pads straight into his fine leg to give the young runabout his v ied wicket in just 11 balls and let the heat rattle at 5-15.
At the time, Mahmoods 4-9 were the best numbers ever for the Sydney Thunder, but he pocketed two sixes when he closed came back on his third over, putting him past Fawad Ahmed’s 4-14 against the Sydney Sixers in January 2017.
Mahmood, who finished 4:22 after three overs, said he had been looking forward to it for several years to play in Australia and he was happy with his debut game in the BBL.
This will be a debut!
4-9 and two overs for Saqib Mahmood! # BBL11 pic.twitter.com/xUOINCGeP6
« When you join a new team you want to have a good start, of course, » he said on Fox Cricket Show after the game.
« Last night I obviously thought about all the different scenarios for getting an early goal and just those first three overruns seemed to put it all together for me.
« On the first couple of overs, I felt like my rhythm was really good , it came out well and then in the third over I was maybe a bit ahead of me. «
It was almost 7:60 when Thunder skipper Chris Green removed Cooper for a counter attack of 32 of 18 balls and the young spinner Tanveer Sangha James Bazley removed for nine.
Heat bowlers Xavier Bartlett (42 no of 29) and Mark Steketee (33 of 24) stayed around at 79 for the eighth wicket – the highest eighth wicket partnership in the BBL – To give the scoreboard a bit of seriousness than the hosts r were decided to bowling 143 in the 18th to give the Thunder a 53-run win.
Previously, it was another Englishman in Alex Hales and the young opener Matthew Gilkes who won the Thunder got off to a quick start when they bet 55 for the first wicket within six overs.
After Hales (35) and Gilkes (28) left, 22-year-old Jason Sangha – his first game since BBL | 08 played – continued with Sam Billings as they put 65 for the third wicket before Sangha was bowled over his legs by Ashes Squad member Mitch Swepson (2-27) for 39 balls out of 28.
Billings was at his best Side as he played with the heat, maneuvering reverse sweeps on either side of the fielder in a glowing 64 with just 27 balls.
The Englishman hit five towering sixes and five fours when he got the total of the thunder at 200 pressed before he was eliminated in the penultimate over.
One of the only H The highlights of the heat – on a night that was shattered even further by an injury to their English importer Abell, who contracted a hip / buttock jam while attempting to catch – was a breathtaking grip by wicketkeeper Peirson, who created a chance to jump from a ramp Shot to sack Thunder’s Alex Ross for the first time in the tournament.
The win puts Thunder in third place on the BBL | 11 standings as they prepare to face the Sixers in the Sydney Derby on Boxing Day compete while the Heat will stay in penultimate position the next time they travel to Adelaide to face the Strikers December 23rd
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