Melbourne Stars 111 (Cartwright 33, Swepson 3-23, Bartlett 2-8) lost to Brisbane Heat 214 for 3 (Munro 99*, Labuschagne 30, Coulter-Nile 1-35) by 103 runs.
In the BBL season opener at the Gabba, opener Colin Munro crushed an undefeated 99 before Brisbane Heat overcame a late burst from an ailing Glenn Maxwell to thrash Melbourne Stars.
In front of 20,000 jubilant fans, Heat put on an almost faultless performance following a heartbreaking loss in the BBL final of the previous season. With a furious 61-ball knock that carried Heat to a mammoth score of 214 for 3, Munro gave them the perfect start.
But with a strong batting lineup led by Maxwell, Stars couldn’t be written off as they may produce a record chase on the field. After his World Cup heroics, he was the center of attention, and he arrived at the crease early when Michael Neser, a quick bowler, dismissed openers Tom Rogers and Sam Harper in the opening over.
After Maxwell unleashed a remarkable attack on left-arm quick Spencer Johnson in the fourth over, the Heat were immediately nervous. In four deliveries, he smacked eighteen runs, but a weak whip to the boundary clearly bothered him. Nevertheless, he hit the next ball for six over backward square leg.
Maxwell had two sets of medical attention, including taping his forearm. Batting in agony, he looked to deliver another match-winning blow, but he failed on his opening try at the reverse sweep, hitting legspinner Mitchell Swepson straight to deep cover. Marcus Stoinis was under pressure after playing in the first three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against India following the World Cup, but he smashed left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann for a short extra cover.
The Stars were reduced to 52 for 4 in the seventh over after the dismissal, and even though Hilton Cartwright hit some hard, they were never able to rally. For the Stars, who have been motivated to win a championship after finishing last season with a wooden spoon, it was an unmemorable beginning. As a result, the Stars are already behind and will be worried about Maxwell’s fitness.
Given that Heat were greatly impacted by the Prime Minister’s XI’s ongoing match versus Pakistan in Canberra, the stars must have gone into the game with confidence. They were without top-order batsmen Nathan McSweeney and Matthew Renshaw, as well as wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson, but they did have Neser, who had withdrawn out of the Prime Minister’s XI lineup because of soreness.
Maxwell decided to bowl, but the immaculate batting conditions meant that Munro and skipper Usman Khawaja tore into the Stars’ attack, defying expectations of a two-paced surface. In the opening over, Khawaja, making what would probably be his only appearance of the season, let off after a leaping Rogers dropped a rocket at point.
Olly Stone, an England fast who was brought into the Stars team late, was deeply disappointed. Joel Paris, a left-arm fast who was brought in from the Hobart Hurricanes, did not fare well and gave up 13 runs in his opening over. In the fourth over, Maxwell, who has occasionally been hesitant to do so in the BBL, came into the attack. Pace bowling had no effect on a firm surface as the hitters sought to go aerial on nearly every delivery.
But Munro was merciless, letting Maxwell’s offspin get away with 19 runs in an over that saw the Heat finish the powerplay at 43 for 0. However, Khawaja’s hole-out on 28 in the seventh over by Maxwell brought about a much-needed breakthrough. Munro then assumed control with his powerful batting and blasted a six off Pakistani legspinner Usama Mir to celebrate reaching his half-century.
When Munro was on 58, Rogers fumbled a high ball after rushing in from the boundary, leaving the stars to lament another dropped catch. Like Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne is also participating in irregular BBL matches this season. He was determined to give the strike to Munro, who has been effective in hitting the straight boundaries.
Although Labuschagne failed to improve his record in the format in which he has had the least success, it did not deter Heat, who were helped by Stone’s errant bowling and quick Nathan Coulter-Nile in the closing stages.
Despite finishing with three consecutive boundaries, Max Bryant was painfully short of scoring his second BBL century for Munro. Heat achieved their second-highest total, and the field saw the momentum continue.
