The undefeated Brisbane Heat could be boosted by two star inclusions for their tough Boxing Day trip to Perth
Johnson targets Boxing Day return from toe injury
Brisbane pace ace Spencer Johnson is confident he'll be ready to go for their Boxing Day road trip to Perth after missing the Heat's first two matches of KFC BBL|14 with a toe injury.
The reigning champions will also welcome English batter Tom Banton into their side for their clash with Perth Scorchers on Thursday after he sat out last night's thrilling final ball win at the Gabba after only arriving from the UK the previous evening.
Banton, who starred for the Heat five summers ago with 223 runs in seven matches, has replaced draft pick Tom Alsop after he was ruled out of the campaign with a quad injury.
"I'm not too far away, I had a good bowl (on Saturday) and it's progressing well," Johnson said on Channel Seven prior to Sunday's match against Adelaide Strikers.
"I've got a little bit of a sore toe so it's a little bit embarrassing – the third toe is a bit angry at the minute, but I think it should be ready to go Boxing Bay in Perth.
"I'll have a bowl (today), and we'll fly to Perth on Christmas Day."
Despite several injury challenges, which also includes star allrounder Michael Neser unavailable until January with a hamstring strain, the Heat have got their title defence off to the perfect start with consecutive wins to kick off BBL|14.
A depleted side missing seven players through injury and national selection comfortably accounted for Melbourne Stars last Wednesday before chasing down Adelaide Strikers' 6-174 off the last ball on Sunday in their first game of the season in front of their home fans.
The Heat welcomed back stand-in captain Colin Munro and championship-winning skipper Nathan McSweeney for the win over the Strikers, with the latter hitting a sublime 78 not out to guide Brisbane home just days after the disappointment of being dropped from the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test.
Mitch Swepson, who hit the winning runs by chipping Liam Scott over point, said it was a credit to McSweeney's character to be able to bounce back with a "brilliant, match-winning innings" after a tough week.
"It might not be his lead format of the game but he's just a brilliant cricketer," Swepson said of McSweeney's innings post-match.
"He came in, he took his time, got the read of the wicket. And then when the time came to put the foot down, he did it and he was there at the end to get us home.
"He's just a really smart cricketer, he's got great skills and can hit pockets of the ground where other guys can't, so it's no surprise he had success here."
Banton's inclusion and Johnson's potential return would be a huge boost for the Heat as they face the toughest road trip in the Big Bash.
The Heat haven't won at Perth Stadium since January 2018 – their only win in six games at the venue.
"They're always tough and in Perth it's a very steep mountain to climb and somewhere it's hard to go and win," Swepson said.
"But we're up for it, we're as confident as a squad as we've ever been.
"To go over there and tick off that one would be a really big milestone for this group (as it's) somewhere we've struggled in the past.
"But confidence is high. We've got a deeper squad now. We've got games into guys that they probably wouldn't thought they would, so really excited to get over there (after) a nice Christmas at home … and get down to business."
KFC BBL|14 standings
BKT Big Bash Tipping is back! Simply select who you think will win each match and you’ll be in with the chance to win $1k every week, plus KFC vouchers and signed merch. Join now