BBL 2025-26: Brisbane Heat snatch dramatic win over Hobart Hurricanes to keep playoff chances alive

The Big Bash League 2025-26 is heading towards the business end as the Hobart Hurricanes hosted Brisbane Heat in Match 35 at the Bellerive Oval on Wednesday, January 14. The home team won the toss and elected to field first.

Captain Usman Khawaja and Jack Wildermuth opened the innings for the Heat with Nikhil Chaudhary and Riley Meredith keeping them quiet in the first two overs. The batters were not able to get away and Meredith added more misery with Wildermuth's wicket in the fourth over. The Heat ended the four-over powerplay at 30/1.

In his quest to up the scoring rate, Khawaja's slog sweep ended up in the deep midwicket's hands as the Heat found themselves at 46/2 in the seventh over. Matt Renshaw and Nathan McSweeney combined for a 64-run partnership which set a good platform for the batters to come.

With Rishad Hossain sending Renshaw back for 37(25), new man Max Bryant joined McSweeney. The partnership looked dangerous but McSweeney fell to Nathan Ellis at the wrong time for 49(32).

Bryant could not last long after as the 26-year-old too succumbed to Ellis for 20(14). It was an underwhelming performance at the death from the Heat as only 14 runs were scored in the last 15 balls. The visitors finished at 160/8 in their 20 overs. For the Heat, Rishad Hossain had the best figures, 4-0-27-2. 

The Hurricanes did not have the best of starts as Tim Ward (1 off 3) was scalped by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann in the first over. But, Mitchell Owen and Beau Webster pushed on until they were stopped by Xavier Bartlett who sent back the former for 8(6). Despite the wickets the Heat ended up with a decent powerplay score of 39/2.

New man Ben McDermott joined Webster and the duo took the game away from the Heat. The partnership brought the Hurricanes on the cusp of victory as only 37 runs were needed at the end of the 14th over. However, the game saw a miraculous change of fortunes soon. Marnus Labuschagne, who broke long partnerships in the Ashes recently, did the same by sending back Webster for 51(43). 

In the next over, Kuhnemann returned and dismissed the set batter McDermott for 59(36). The equation was still very much manageable, but the Hurricanes did not show urgency to finish the match. From 20 runs needed off 18 balls to six runs needed off six balls, the home team suddenly looked clueless.

24-year-old Pakistan fast bowler Zaman Khan came on to bowl the final over and conceded only two runs and picked up a wicket too. Notably, it was the least number of runs ever defended in the final over of a BBL game.

The Heat conjured up a three-run win and moved to the third position with their playoff hopes very much alive. Matthew Kuhnemann, for his 2/24, was adjudged as the Player of the Match.