Clarke, Cartwright too hot for Brisbane Heat to handle

A record partnership between Joe Clarke and Hilton Cartwright plundered Brisbane Heat as Melbourne Stars bounced back to form with a crucial 20-run victory at the Gabba.

The red-hot batters combined for a fourth-wicket partnership of 151 runs off just 82 balls in 13 overs of carnage. Clarke (85 off 44) and Cartwright (79 off 44) inflicted particular misery on Heat quick Liam Guthrie, who conceded the most runs in BBL history to finish with figures of 2 for 70 off four overs.

Chasing a massive 208, Chris Lynn (57 off 34) and Ben Duckett (54 off 35) produced similar fireworks but for not nearly long enough as Heat fell short.

Stars (3-3) arrested a two-game losing streak while Heat (2-4) slipped down the ladder.

Few could have envisioned Stars smashing their third highest BBL score after they slumped to 3 for 16 in the third over, including the key wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell.

The team was in danger of being bundled out but English import Clarke was not perturbed by the predicament and effectively counterattacked.

He was soon matched by Cartwright as they smashed their way out of trouble and never let up in a purple patch that yielded as many as 13 sixes. Perhaps the most impressive of them was Clarke's astonishing ramp off James Bazley in the 12th over as the duo traded blows.

They hit almost every shot imaginable to crush Heat's spirit and at one point were eying the BBL record total of 5 for 232 set by Sydney Thunder last season. But the pyrotechnics finally ended when Cartwright holed out in the 15th over and then Andre Russell fell for a second ball duck in his final game of the season. Stars' total still proved more than enough although a hamstring injury to Clarke, who did not take his place behind the stumps during Heat's innings, will be cause for concern.

Heat have long been known as a hot and cold team. A new leadership duo of captain Jimmy Peirson and coach Wade Seccombe was hoped to bring composure to the side but it's clearly still a work in progress.

After such a bright start, Heat crumbled under the onslaught from Clarke and Cartwright, particularly a completely rattled Guthrie, who bowled six wides and a no ball. The former Scorchers bowler was struggling to land them properly in tough viewing and he seemingly received little encouragement from his team-mates.

Guthrie cut a lonely figure but ended his infamous spell on a rare high when a low full toss was mis-hit by Cartwright allowing Heat to at least finish well.

But the damage had been done.

Heat had to swing lustily but they lost Max Bryant and Tom Cooper in Brody Couch's opening over of the innings. All eyes were then on Lynn, who has failed to get going this season, but he was merely a spectator watching the remarkable strokeplay from Duckett.

The left-hander outdid himself in the fifth over against Qais Ahmad with a switch-hit flayed over extra cover and into the crowd. Australia great Adam Gilchrist - no stranger to hitting jaw-dropping shots in his career - labelled it one of the best shots he had ever seen on the Fox Sports broadcast.

Lynn, uncharacteristically, played a support role though he put the foot down with a huge six in the seventh over against Couch. The pair needed to somewhat replicate the earlier fireworks of Clarke and Cartwright but Duckett fell in the power surge shortly after registering his half-century with a six.

The burden was on Lynn who immediately responded with consecutive sixes to keep Heat at the required run-rate. But he fell in the 13th over to a well-judged catch by an ice-cool Russell to deflate Heat's chase.

Much like Heat earlier, Stars were similarly under pressure at various points with Duckett's switch-hitting prowess negating spinners Qais and Adam Zampa. They also had to contend with Lynn who was in vintage touch to ignite the home fans.

But unlike Heat, Stars didn't lose their nerve with experienced duo Russell and Nathan Coulter-Nile bowling calmly across the eighth and ninth overs to halt Heat's surge. Coulter-Nile then grabbed the key wicket of Duckett before Qais ran through Heat's middle-order.

Maxwell marshalled his troops with aplomb in a well-rounded victory that might prove a springboard for the erratic Stars.