HEA vs REN BBL 2022: Melbourne Renegades have kicked off their BBL 2022 campaign on a stunning note with an impressive victory over Brisbane Heat on Thursday. With this, Melbourne Renegades climbed to the second position as the end of the first round nears.
Winning the toss at the Cazalys Stadium, Melbourne Renegades skipper Nic Maddison made a witty decision to bat first. The captain anchored an exceptional knock and powered his side to a decent total of 166/7 in their first innings of 20 overs.
Maddison (87) and Harper (21) helped the Renegades with a solid start in the front as they put up a handsome partnership of 65 runs for the first wicket. Wickets kept on tumbling at the other end, but skipper Maddison stood strong at the end to act as a guardian angel for his side.
Apart from Andre Russell (35), no other Renegades batsman managed to cross the single-digit score. The vital match-winning stand of 78 runs amongst Maddison and Russell for the fifth wicket helped the Renegades edge past the 150-run total and gain a competitive advantage.
For Brisbane Heat, Matthew Kuhnemann (3/32) starred in the bowling attack with a splendid bowling display. James Bazley (2/19) was also spectacular in his efforts whereas Steketee (1/25) and Swepson (1/30) chipped in a wicket apiece.
HEA vs REN BBL 2022: Whiteley-Bazley efforts went in vain as Renegades walked off with a Win
Chasing a challenging total of 167 runs, Brisbane Heat was off to a sloppy start as the openers Brown (7) and Bryant (0) failed to capitalize on the power play. As a result, the frontline batting attack was down to 34/3. Skipper Jimmy Pierson (43) and Colin Munro (35) then came to the rescue and put up a commanding stand of 54 runs for the fourth wicket.
Whiteley (28) and Bazley (19) tried to expedite the run rate and steal a victory but they failed in their efforts as Brisbane Heat fell short of 22 runs and could only post 144/6 by the end of their 20 overs.
For Melbourne Renegades, Akeal Hosein (3/15) was the pick of the bowlers who galvanized Heat’s batting attack. Russell (1/26) and Rogers (1/33) grabbed a wicket apiece.
