A tough night out for the COVID-hit Brisbane Heat and their eight debutants as Renegades stars Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh orchestrated the run chase
Match Report:
ScorecardRenegades romp to big win against depleted Heat
A masterclass in T20 batting from ageless veteran Shaun Marsh and Australia captain Aaron Finch have helped the Melbourne Renegades to a thumping five-wicket win over a COVID-ravaged Brisbane Heat outfit.
Marsh's imperious 57 from 35 balls, with three sixes and a half-dozen boundaries, added 96 for the second wicket with Aaron Finch (37 off 28) to run down the Heat's 6-128 with 30 balls to spare.
Showing no mercy against a side that included a coach's son, an electrician, an opener with a first-class strike-rate of 33 and a club cricketer who was yesterday fishing in central Queensland, the Renegades set out for a net-run-rate boosting win and achieved their aim to move into the top five with their third win of the season, and second in a row after beating a COVID-hit Melbourne Stars earlier this week.
Jake Lehmann, son of Brisbane assistant coach Darren, the former national coach, top-scored for the Heat in Geelong.
Lehmann made the most of his unexpected KFC BBL return, having last played in the competition nearly two years ago, hitting 65 as opener after the Renegades skipper Nic Maddinson sent the Heat in.
"Twenty four hours ago, if you told me I'd be opening the batting in Geelong, I'd be laughing at you," Lehmann said.
"I've always wanted to get back into the Big Bash and I guess COVID has given me that opportunity.
"It didn't end the way I liked at the Strikers ... I always felt like I had more to give.
"Hopefully, I can do that at the Heat, for the next couple of games anyway."
While father and son talk regularly about the game, it was the first time Darren had coached Jake at any level of cricket.
"It is a little bit funny when he's standing right there and I guess you don't call him 'Dad' out here. You call him Boof or something like that," Jake said of his father's nickname.
The former Adelaide Strikers batter was among eight new players in the Heat side for Thursday night's game.
They are the latest club to be hit by COVID-19, with 12 players and coach Wade Seccombe sidelined by positive tests.
Sam Heazlett and Mujeeb Ur Rahman remained from their most recent match on January 1, while new captain Tom Cooper was in the squad for the win over Hobart.
Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman only made three in his BBL debut.
Queensland squad members Lachy Pfeffer, Jack Clayton and Will Prestwidge made their BBL debuts and Steven McGiffin and Ronan McDonald were recruited from Queensland Premier Cricket.
The circumstance of McGiffin's call-up highlights just how far and wide COVID-impacted teams are having to search for fit players.
The 24-year-old fast bowler was fishing 90 minutes on a charter boat off-shore from Turkey Beach near Gladstone when he received the Heat's SOS and swiftly made the six-and-a-half-hour drive back to Brisbane to join his new teammates.
Their Wednesday night game against the Sydney Sixers on the Gold Coast was rescheduled because Brisbane could not field a team in time.
Lehmann hit eight fours in his 52-ball knock before he was the last wicket to fall.
No other Brisbane player managed more than 15 as Kane Richardson, Zahir Khan and Mohammad Nabi took two wickets piece.
Nabi closed out the innings superbly, conceding only two runs in the final over.
The Renegades lost opener Sam Harper in the first over, bowled by David Grant, who is also in the Strikers squad, who impressed with 3-20 from four overs.