Swepson's sliders and Neser's stunning catch spearhead Heat's victory
Chris Green gave the visitors a brief scare but in the end the margin was convincing
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Dec-2023
Mitchell Swepson bowled superbly for his two wickets • Getty Images
Brisbane Heat 151 for 7 (Munro 46, T Sangha 3-21) beat Sydney Thunder 131 (Davies 35, Bartlett 3-35) by 20 runs
Brisbane Heat continued their undefeated start to the BBL season with a comfortable 20-run win against Sydney Thunder in Canberra.
A classy 46 from in-form opener Colin Munro and clinical bowling from their disciplined bowling attack saw Heat secure victory on Tuesday night on a tricky surface allied to a slow outfield.
Only a late flurry from Thunder captain Chris Green restored respectability to the scoreboard, giving Heat just the smallest of scares having had their opposition buried at 80 for 6 in their pursuit of 152.
They moved to 2-0 for the season having backed up their opening night win against Melbourne Stars, with their second clash against Adelaide Strikers washed out.
Four different Heat bowlers picked up multiple wickets, led by Xavier Bartlett's 3 for 35 and a brilliant 2 for 26 from legspinner Mitchell Swepson that included the prized scalps of Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams.
Thunder had lost opener Alex Hales for a golden duck with just the third ball of the innings as Michael Neser found an edge to slip, and Matt Gilkes joined him in the fourth over by lifting Bartlett to short fine leg.
New signing Cameron Bancroft looked to hit the ground running when he hit his first ball as a Thunder player to the boundary on his way to 25 off 19.
But Swepson trapped him plumb lbw, deceived by a quicker ball, as he looked to take control leaving Thunder in a hole at 53 for 3.
It got even worse courtesy of a stunning catch from Neser, who ran a long distance and put in a full-stretch dive at deep midwicket to get rid of Alex Ross and leave them 56 for 4. Swepson then defeated Sams with another skidding delivery the ball after being hit for six
Only Ollie Davies, who earlier took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Josh Brown, put up some fight for Thunder.
Earlier, an impressive spell from Thunder spinner Tanveer Sangha helped his side restrict Heat.
His tight lines cramped up the Heat batters with his 3 for 21 featuring the wickets of Nathan McSweeney, Matt Renshaw and Paul Walter.
Heat opener Munro backed up his 99 not out from his first knock of the season against Stars with another 46.
BBL debutant Zaman Khan got in on the act late, bowling Billings and Neser in the one over with an unorthodox slinging action that delighted fans in Canberra.