It's a blockbuster KFC BBL|13 top of the table clash with the undefeated Heat hosting the second-placed Scorchers in a rematch of last season's final
All you need to know: Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers
Match facts
Who: Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers
What: Match 32, BBL|13
Where: The Gabba, Brisbane
When: Wednesday, January 10. Bat flip at 5.55pm local (6.55pm AEDT), first ball at 6.40pm local (7.40pm AEDT)
How to watch: Channel Seven, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Greg Davidson (field), David Taylor (field), Paul Wilson (third), Steve Dionysius (fourth), Kepler Wessels (match referee)
Match squads
Heat: Usman Khawaja (c), Xavier Bartlett, Sam Billings (England), Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Paul Walter (England), Jack Wildermuth
Scorchers: Aaron Hardie (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Zak Crawley (England), Stephen Eskinazi (England), Laurie Evans (England), Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis (vc), Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman
Form guide
Heat: WWDWW (most recent first)
Undefeated and three points clear at the top of the standings, the Heat keep winning the pressure moments in BBL|13. The last two games it's been 'Tall Paul' Walter delivering clutch performances with both bat and ball, first against the Sixers in a rain-affected chase, and then defending 12 from the final over with the ball against the Hurricanes. There's been contributions from their entire squad so far this season, which is no doubt why last season's runners-up find themselves at the top of the standings heading into the business end of the season.
Scorchers: WLWWW
Losing captain Ashton Turner to a season-ending knee injury hasn't halted the Scorchers juggernaut who are charging towards the finals once again. Responded to a minor slip up against the Strikers two games ago by cruising to a seven-wicket over the Thunder on a slow pitch. Wins against the Heat and Sixers in the final three games would secure Perth their third straight minor premiership in the Big Bash as they seek to become the first club to win three BBL titles in a row.
KFC BBL|13 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HEA
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.972 | 0 | 16 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.339 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.725 | 0 | 13 |
|
4
STR
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.331 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
HUR
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.268 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
STA
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.051 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
REN
|
10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | -0.288 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | -0.652 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
Players to watch
While he might not have as many wickets as some of his teammates, Spencer Johnson's efforts with the new ball and at the death have been a major reason behind the Heat's undefeated run in BBL|13. No one to have bowled more than two overs in the Powerplay (overs 1-4) has a higher dot ball percentage that Johnson's 63.9, with his teammates Michael Neser (62.1) and Xavier Bartlett (61.9) a close second and third. Johnson has also bowled the penultimate or final over of the innings in all four of the Heat's games that have gone the full distance this season, conceding just seven and claiming two wickets against the Hurricanes on Sunday to give Paul Walter 12 to defend of the last.
Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne are back for the Heat after helping Australia to a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan. It will be the pair's second appearance of the season after featuring in the BBL|13 opener against the Stars last month. "It will be good for the group to have Usman and Marnus back around the team, especially as we get into the business end of the competition," Heat coach Wade Seccombe said. "They helped us get the BBL season off to a confident start and no doubt they will enjoy the chance to get out in front of the Heat fans at the Gabba before they refocus on the rest of the Test summer."
Big-hitting opener Josh Brown has been left out of the Heat squad to make way for Labuschagne and Khawaja. Allrounder Jack Wildermuth returns to the squad for the first time this season, with local replacement players Jordan Buckingham and Callum Vidler also dropping out.
Since coming back into the team for the Scorchers' third game of the season, Ashton Agar has proved why he is one of Australia's most effective white-ball spinners. He is the club's most economical bowler to have sent down more than 10 overs this season, and his 2-6 off four overs with 18 dot balls against the Thunder was the most dot balls ever bowled by a spinner in a men's Big Bash match and the equal second most economical four-over spell in BBL history.
Head-to-head
Overall: Heat (7 wins), Scorchers (14 wins)
At the Gabba: Heat (3 wins), Scorchers (3 wins)
Most runs: Chris Lynn (618), Mitchell Marsh (467), Cameron Bancroft (342), Ashton Turner (248), Max Bryant (224)
Most wickets: Jason Behrendorff (23), Andrew Tye (23), Matthew Kelly (14), Mitch Swepson (10), Jhye Richardson (10)
The venue
Rapid stats
- Perth Scorchers are on a six-match winning streak over the Brisbane Heat dating back to January 26, 2020, when Marnus Labuschagne made 46 and took three wickets to help restrict the Scorchers to 6-175 chasing the Heat's 7-181 at Adelaide Oval. The two sides last meet in the thrilling BBL|12 Final at Optus Stadium when Nick Hobson hit the winning runs for the Scorchers with four balls remaining.
- Aaron Hardie (979) is 21 away from reaching 1000 BBL runs. The Perth Scorchers stand-in skipper also registered his 50th Big Bash appearance in their win over the Thunder and his average of 40.25 against the Heat is the third best of his BBL opponents having hit half-centuries in two of his past three innings against them.
- Matthew Kuhnemann (Brisbane Heat) has been the competition's most economical bowler in BBL|13 (minimum 50 balls bowled), conceding 5.8 runs per over across his 20 overs this season. Kuhnemann also has also conceded just 20.7 per cent of his 116 runs in boundaries in BBL|13, the equal lowest rate of any bowler to have played more than one game.
What's on the line?
This match and the rematch at Optus Stadium three days later will shape the ladder positions of the top four and determine who hosts each final. If the Heat win one of the next two against the Scorchers, they'll secure hosting rights of the Qualifier on January 19, which would be played on the Gold Coast due to a clash with the second Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba.
If the Scorchers win the next two, they'll almost certainly host the Qualifer at Optus Stadium and secure their third straight minor premiership regardless of the results in the Sixers' remaining two games due to Perth's superior net run-rate.
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