Gutsy Heat learn painful lessons from past failures

One year and one week ago, a disconsolate Jimmy Peirson stood in the Gabba outfield and answered questions about another spectacular Brisbane Heat collapse.

This one – a particularly dramatic loss of 10-36 after being 0-84 in pursuit of 165 against the Renegades – was labelled a "train wreck" by Chris Lynn, while even the great Ricky Ponting weighed in on Twitter, suggesting "these collapses happen all too often".

Ponting's words summed up the pervading feeling about the Heat. Entertainers? Absolutely. Reliable performers? Certainly not. Title winners? Hardly.

That night, Peirson spoke about the need to have "a good, hard look at ourselves", adding that a willingness to "win ugly" was sorely absent within the squad, and conceded a change in personnel was required "to get this team playing the way we need to be playing".

Last night, a full 12 months on, Peirson stood in front of the same media pack but with an altogether different outlook, having just guided his team to a first KFC BBL Finals victory since their championship success eight years ago.

He could well have ticked off on his fingers those three points he had outlined 12 months prior. In fact, he just about did: Self-reflection? Tick. Winning ugly? Tick. Fresh faces? Tick.

"The team that was prepared to do the ugly stuff a little longer was going to win that game," Peirson said after the Heat chased down 131 to win with six wickets in hand and seven balls to spare to book themselves in to the Knockout final against the Thunder on Sunday night.

"The difference this year is we're finding ways to win those tight games. We're prepared to take the game a bit deeper, whereas in years gone by we'd try and win that game in the 16th over … although we're going a little deeper, we're winning four or five (wickets) down and that's the really pleasing thing for me.

"We had a hard look at ourselves and we realised what we were doing wasn't working, and I think particularly as a batting group we've just sort of done the ugly stuff a bit better this year; we've been prepared to face some more balls and then cash in back-end of our innings.

"I think we've swallowed our ego a little bit this year. Even the way (Chris) Lynny's batting – he's batting with more responsibility and he's scoring mountains of runs.

"We've got so many middle-order batters who are doing a great job for us this year. Joey Denly (who made a crucial 41) slipped up the order and did a great job for us tonight, so we've been very flexible and found a way to win from different positions."

The Heat have been far from perfect in BBL|10 but they head into Sunday's Knockout with momentum on their side and armed with the knowledge that they have beaten the Thunder, Scorchers and Sixers this tournament, splitting their results with the top three teams of BBL|10.

With the returns of Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Swepson, and Englishmen Denly and Lewis Gregory continuing to better acquaint themselves with the demands of this tournament, the Heat are a more rounded roster than they have been for some time.

"We have so much firepower now, we're well balanced, and we're playing good cricket," added Labuschagne.

"We've got to a quarter final and we haven't played our best cricket yet, which is exciting."

BBL|10 Finals Series
(all matches will screen on Channel 7, Fox Cricket & Kayo)

The Eliminator: Brisbane Heat (4) beat Adelaide Strikers (5) by six wickets

The Qualifier: Sydney Sixers (1) v Perth Scorchers (2). Saturday Jan 30, Manuka Oval, 7.15pm AEDT

The Knock-Out: Sydney Thunder (3) v Brisbane Heat (4). Sunday, Jan 31, Manuka Oval, 7.15pm AEDT

The Challenger: Loser of The Qualifier v Winner of The Knock-Out. Thurs Feb 4, venue TBC, 7.15pm AEDT

The Final: Winner of The Qualifier v Winner of The Challenger. Sat Feb 6, venue TBC, 7.15pm AEDT