Ben Cutting cameo helps Heat to third straight win

Ben Cutting and Jimmy Peirson calmly steered Brisbane Heat past a gallant Hobart Hurricanes in a low-scoring contest at the Gabba.

Chasing just 127, the Heat were cruising at 1 for 52 before losing four quick wickets triggered by inspired bowling from Hurricanes quick Scott Boland.

Cutting and Pierson, however, came to the rescue in a match-winning 60-run partnership, as the Heat won in the penultimate over. A disciplined Heat attack had earlier shackled the D'Arcy Short-less Hurricanes lineup that struggled after winning the toss.

Matthew Wade played a lone hand in his return to the BBL with a fluent half-century but lacked support. The in-form Heat (4-3) have won three in a row, including twice over the Hurricanes (3-4) in the past week.

There were question marks over whether Hurricanes' top-order could function without BBL dynamo Short, who was a late call-up for Australia's ODI tour of India. The pain of losing their talisman was at least alleviated by the return of Matthew Wade from Test duty, but the Hurricanes' batting fell apart.

They suffered an early blow when opener Caleb Jewell fell in just the second over to Matt Renshaw, whose part-time spin has proved surprisingly effective this season.

The Heat took advantage of a rattled Hurricanes top-order with George Bailey trapped lbw by a relentlessly accurate Zahir Khan. It was the first time the veteran endured a golden duck in his 72-game BBL career, as the Hurricanes botched the Powerplay and things turned worse when out of form David Miller chopped on to Ben Laughlin.

Wade had no trouble adjusting formats as he sweetly timed the ball to make a mockery of his teammates' struggles. Captain Ben McDermott surprisingly came out at No.6 but the horror show continued when he was run out after Wade bewilderingly ran for a kamikaze single, leaving the Hurricanes in ruins at 5 for 59 near the midpoint.

With Zahir bowled out, Mitchell Swepson continued to strangle the Hurricanes with probing googlies but Wade finally found a willing ally in Tom Rogers, whose primary aim was to rotate the strike.

Wade reached fifty in the 14th over when he clubbed Swepson for six and then smashed another boundary to signal his intent. The left-hander then fell in confusing fashion when he skied to long-on where Renshaw took the catch inside the rope, tossed it up as he stepped out of bounds and knocked it mid-air to Tom Banton inside the boundary.

Third umpire Simon Lightbody initially gave it not out on the broadcast before reversing his decision, which was correct under Law 19.5.2. Previously, before the rule change, Wade would have been awarded a six because Renshaw tapped it over the boundary without stepping back in.

Wade's dismissal triggered a swift Hurricanes demise highlighted by Laughlin dismissing Clive Rose with a superb return catch to cap off an almost flawless display from the Heat.

All eyes were on Banton, who was fresh off the second fastest ever BBL half-century during his 19-ball 56 against the Sydney Thunder. Banton, instead, maturely shelved the big shots and smartly worked the ball around in a sedate opening stand. He made his move in the fifth over by whacking Qais Ahmad for a straight six only to hole out on the next delivery much to the chagrin of the Heat faithful.

Max Bryant took over the pyrotechnics but was shaken after being hit in the helmet by a short delivery from Boland, before falling next over to a brilliant outfield catch from Clive Rose, who narrowly avoided a collision with Jewell.

Boland then turned the match in the ninth over when he claimed a loose Renshaw and Joe Burns, who was playing his first BBL match of the season, in quick succession to leave the Heat stuttering at 4 for 63 after nine overs.

The Heat's slide continued in the 11th over when skipper Chris Lynn was run out in a horrible mix up with Peirson, as the Hurricanes suddenly held the edge. The pressure was on Peirson and Cutting, the Heat's last two main hopes, and the pair were intent to stop the bleeding.

They batted watchfully until Cutting changed the momentum with consecutive sixes off Rogers in the 16th over. He was well supported by Peirson, who made amends for his part in Lynn's wicket, and Cutting had a reprieve when he was dropped by Miller in the 18th over with the Heat still needing 11 runs.

Cutting made him pay and sealed the deal shortly after in style with a six.