Undermanned Heat upset Sixers to earn grand final berth

An undermanned Brisbane Heat are into their second KFC BBL Final with Michael Neser holding his nerve to upset the Sydney Sixers in a tense low-scoring thrilling at the SCG.

Matt Kuhnemann – who stepped up in the absence of India-bound Australian leggie Mitchell Swepson – was the star with the ball as the Heat restricted the Sixers to 9-116 after the hosts elected to bat first in the Challenger final.

It was a surface that became increasing difficult to bat on as the shine wore off the ball, and the Heat certainly discovered that as they lost 3-10 after racing to 31 in the fourth over after Sam Heazlett and Josh Brown hit the only sixes of the night.

The Heat's top and middle order fell away without the class of their Test trio Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw with the chase floundering after 15 overs at 6-86 with 31 still needed.

But that was when the experienced Neser made the ultimate difference, smacking four consecutive boundaries in the second over of the Power Surge just as the Sixers looked to be edging ahead.

Neser finished unbeaten on 48 from 32 deliveries – the highest score of the match and his highest T20 score – as the Heat emerged victorious by four wickets with 10 balls to spare.

They will now travel to Perth tomorrow to take on an intimidating Scorchers outfit on Saturday who are hunting an unprecedented fifth BBL title.

Prior to Neser's stunning Power Surge assault, it was proving to be tough going for the Heat batters as Steve O'Keefe and Izharulhaq Naveed (2-28) made good use of favourable spinning conditions.

Heazlett (13) was run out attempting a single on an overthrow, and Brown (20) followed closely behind when he edged behind to Josh Philippe of Ben Dwarshuis.

A close shave with the stump then unsettled Labuschagne's replacement Nathan McSweeney as two deliveries after the ball clipping the stump but failed to dislodge the bails, he feathered a ball to Philippe at the Heat slumped to 3-41.

Stand-in captain Jimmy Peirson was then caught at point trying to hit veteran tweaker O'Keefe (1-13) across the line and English import Sam Hain fell to a superb return catch by Izharulhaq, bringing Neser to the crease.

Earlier, the Sixers found batting equally as tough on a difficult surface that has averaged 25 runs less batting first this season compared to last.

The left-armer Kuhnemann struck with his first ball of the match, with the out-of-sorts Philippe gloving a delivery through to wicketkeeper Peirson and having to depart for 16 after the not out decision was eventually overturned on review.

He struck in his next over as well with the crucial wicket of opposition skipper Moises Henriques (4) plumb lbw, and when the he picked up his third in the 13th over, with Sixers top-scorer Daniel Hughes (23) departing to leave the Sixers struggling at 5-76.

They never recovered as they scrounged their way to 9-116 from their 20 overs, with Kuhnemann finishing with the superb figures of 3-17 from four overs – the best return of his T20 career.

Recalled part-time off-spinning allrounder McSweeney (1-21) also chipped in with the key scalp of Silk (10) in a tidy four-over spell as he filled the void left by India-bound leggie Mitch Swepson superbly.

After claiming the opening wicket of Kurtis Patterson (19), breakout star Spencer Johnson returned to clean up the lower-order to also claim a career-best 3-28.

Neser also took his tournament tally to 26 with his 2-28.