Brisbane Heat secure a finals spot by beating the Adelaide Strikers in a super over
Match Recap: Heat defeat Strikers
Match in a tweet: The Heat are in the semi-finals! But it took a super effort from Deandra Dottin for them to sneak in after the Strikers put up an incredible fight.
The score: Brisbane Heat 6-127 (Dottin 51) in 20 overs tied with Adelaide Strikers 8-127 (Beaumont 58) in 20 overs
The super over: Adelaide Strikers 3-4 (Dottin 2-3) in one over lost to Brisbane Heat 0-5 (Mooney 4no) in 0.2 overs
Super Over: Deandra Dottin was exceptional with the ball during the super over, picking up two wickets and conceding only four runs. Dottin repeatedly hit the block hole as the Strikers batters failed to hit a boundary when they desperately needed one.
The hero: Deandra Dottin, you star! Playing with a face mask to protect her fractured cheekbone, the West Indies allrounder smashed a half-century and then also held her nerve during the super over with the ball to propel the Heat into the semi-finals. Dottin showed why she is one of the most explosive batters in the T20 format with a blistering knock of 51 from 41 balls. Dottin was instrumental in resurrecting the Heat's innings from 5-60 to a competitive total of 6-127.
The consolation act: Tammy Beaumont’s late-season run of form has been one to cherish. The English import played a lone hand in getting the Strikers within a whisker of beating the Heat. Beaumont was exceptional against the spinners as she used her feet to drive through the covers and also used the sweep to great effect to compile a fine 58 from 54 balls.
The turning point: Tammy Beaumont seemed to leading the Strikers to a remarkable win before she was brilliantly run out on 58 by Tara Sutherland to bring the Heat back into the contest.
The spell: Amanda Wellington put on an exhibition of classic leg-spin bowling at the Gabba finishing with figures of 2-8 from four overs. The Strikers leggie continued to bamboozle the Heat batters with her flight, spin and dip. Not afraid to throw the ball above the eye line Wellington removed Laura Winfield (8) with a lovely drifter, before finding the edge of Delissa Kimmince's bat with a sharp turning leg-break.
The next stop: Heat's victory guarantees them a semi-finals spot next week, while the season is officially over for the Strikers.