Big Bash League: Lynn gives Brisbane first win of tournament

Heat skipper makes 75 to guide team to six-wicket win over Sydney Thunder

Man of the match Chris Lynn’s 75-run knock guided hosts Brisbane Heat to their first win in the Big Bash League when they defeated Sydney Thunder by six wickets at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Having elected to field first, the hosts were given a strong target of 187 runs as a 97-run partnership between Shane Watson and skipper Michael Hussey steadied the visitor’s ship which had been rocked by early dismissals of openers Jacques Kallis (16) and Aiden Blizzard (14) in the fifth and seventh overs respectively.

Watson smashed six sixes in his glitzy 46-run innings off 31 balls while Hussey hit two boundaries and as many sixes in his 43-ball 56-run knock to take his team to 166-4 before being dismissed by Mark Steketee in the 18th over. James Hopes had earlier dismissed Watson on the last ball of the 16th over.



Andre Russell (20), who was run out with three balls remaining in the innings, and Ben Rohrer (13) contributed to the team’s cause to finish the innings on 186.

In reply, Brisbane got off to a solid start as Jimmy Peirson (40) and Lendl Simmons (34) set up a 72-run opening stand before Simmons was dismissed by Watson in the 10th over. Lynn then came in and smashed six boundaries and as many sixes in the 32-run stand to take his team to 182-4 before being caught by Chris Green off a Russell delivery in the 19th over.



Ben Cutting (22) and Sam Heazlett (one) then saw off the game to give the hosts their first points in the tournament.

Russell, meanwhile, claimed two wickets for Thunder.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2016.

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