Fraser-McGurk Masterclass Beats Brisbane Heat
Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed his way back into form, leading the Melbourne Renegades to an exciting three-wicket win over the Brisbane Heat in the BBL. The win ended the Heatโs title defense, but the Renegades’ hopes of making the finals didnโt last long.
Fraser-McGurk, who had struggled this season for South Australia and the Renegades, hit an incredible 95 runs off just 46 balls. This helped the Renegades chase down the second-highest total ever at Marvel Stadium in BBL history.
The 22-year-old tried to score his first BBL century with a massive six, but Matt Renshaw caught him near the boundary. At that point, the Renegades still needed 17 runs to win. Fergus OโNeill finished the job, reaching the target of 196 with 12 balls to spare. For a short time, the Renegades moved to fourth on the table, but the Perth Scorchersโ victory over the Adelaide Strikers later that day ended their finals chances.
Fraser-McGurk came into the match with only 93 runs from his first nine games this season. However, he tore apart the Heatโs bowling attack, which included international stars like Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Swepson, and Michael Neser. His 95 was not only his best-ever BBL score but also his third half-century in 45 matches.
The Brisbane Heat, last yearโs champions, needed a win to keep their finals hopes alive. Batting first, they scored a huge 196 for 4, with Jack Wood, Tom Alsop, and Matt Renshaw leading the charge.
The match took an unusual turn when two Renegades bowlers, captain Will Sutherland and Fergus OโNeill, were banned from bowling for running into the danger area. Umpire Donovan Koch stopped Sutherland with just one ball left in his third over. OโNeill was also removed, leaving nine deliveries he could have bowled. Itโs extremely rare for two bowlers to be banned in the same game, let alone mid-over.
With no other options, Renegades opener Josh Brown, who had never bowled in his 37 T20 matches, was forced to step up. Brownโs 2.4 overs went for 48 runs, allowing the Heat to post the highest total at Marvel Stadium this season.
Despite this, Brown played his part in the Renegadesโ chase, hitting 32 runs off just 11 balls to give them a fast start.
Sutherland, however, had a tough day, being hit for three consecutive sixes twice โ once by Wood in the third over and again by Renshaw in the 12th.