BBL|11: Don't Sleep On The Brisbane Heat

Heading into the 11^th instalment of the Big Bash League, the Brisbane Heat are one the most underrated teams in the competition, currently sporting just a 10% chance of winning their second BBL crown, the second-lowest projection where Stats Insider's futures model is concerned.

Public expectation of the Heat doesn’t sit at great heights either and which is a reality that's been largely self-inflicted.

There's no more enigmatic team in arguably any T20 competition across the world than Brisbane, with great high-end potential proving to only be hypothetical at times, where disappointment comes shining through.

They missed the finals in BBL|07, BBL|08 and BBL|09, while the rollercoaster ride was in full effect in BBL|10, sneaking into the finals despite owning the second worst Net Run Rate, before winning two finals and falling well short in the “challenger”- the BBL’s version of a preliminary final.

A large portion of the Heat’s T20 woes have been a disconnect between bat and ball, with an unclear direction amongst the playing group.

Traditionally, this is a team that has been filled with largely hit-out-or-get-out types of batters. Drill further down and for the most part, these sorts of players rely heavily on confidence to bring success – situational awareness isn’t necessarily a strong suit.

Still, the strong batting potential is often what has dragged the Heat over the line, with the bowling simply not suiting a Gabba surface that lends itself to balls skidding on and requiring greater control of ball movement in the air, rather than off the surface.

So, what makes this season any different for the Heat?

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Last season truly felt like an aberration, with Brisbane riding a lucky wave that got them into a third-placing overall.

With that in mind, it means the franchise has been underwhelming overall for 4 seasons.

BBL|11 has come with a couple of new recruits but even better and an eye on greater consistency across the board for the team.

The role of Chris Lynn will be particularly interesting having switched across to opening the batting throughout the tournament to mixed effects.

Lynn himself enjoyed a strong tournament, with 458 runs at 35.23 at a strike rate of 154.72, finishing with five 50s from 13 innings.

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It’s almost as if Brisbane’s entire season rests on the shoulders of their star batsman, who himself can be erratic at times but surrounded by a more reliable cast, the pressure has been eased.

Sam Heazlett has a 93 under his belt for Queensland this summer in one-day cricket and finished last season’s BBL with 74*, which will leave the team with some top-order flexibility depending on the game.

Max Bryant’s middle-order 68 against South Australia just days ago also indicates maturity and versatility in his game that has been missing on a consistent basis in the past, but the 22-year-old’s potential to explode has him in line for a start, despite not scoring above 40 last year.

Jimmy Peirson remains the glue of the Heat, coming off 324 runs at an average of 46.28 last season, finishing with red ink on 9 occasions. Having a level-headed player in the backend of the innings really solidified Brisbane in key moments and helped the team sneak over the line on a number of occasions.

The two new imports for Brisbane provide the most interest, with last season’s wildly inconsistent English crew of Dan Lawrence, Joe Denly and Lewis Gregory replaced with the unknown-to-most duo of Tom Abell and Ben Duckett.

27-year-old Abell has an impressive average of 34.51 runs at a strike rate of 144.94 across 53 T20 matches in his career, batting at four for the most part.

Unlike previous international batsmen, the Englishman has an untraditional approach to batting yet maintains a level of selectiveness at the crease that helps him adapt to different situations and accelerate when needed.

The Heat sought consistency and reliability with Abell and will get it in spades – his last six T20 innings have been 69, 68, 8*, 78*, 50 and 26.

Duckett has worked hard to transform his game as a top-order batsman with great affect, averaging over 30 across 129 T20s and as exciting as any player, with the ability to knuckle down.

On the other side of the equation, the Heat signed Michael Neser, whose availability will vary depending on his release from The Ashes squad, as well as the re-signing of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the franchise’s most reliable bowler.

Neser would be a walk-up starter as a strong all-round option with Jack Wildermuth, whose early-inning swing bowling helped limit runs conceded for the Heat early last season.

Mark Steketee will look to back up his 24-wicket season and is in fine form at the moment too, while Xavier Bartlett’s traditional seam movement is perfectly suited to T20 at the Gabba.

Last season, the Heat bowled 91 overs of spin, resulting in 36 wickets and an economy of just 7.13. 

This time in, Matt Kuhnemann is in the form of his life and Sam Heazlett can contribute his part-time spin, where variation will be key.

Using multiple spinners to attack and keep things tight in different situations will be crucial, and there are plenty of options in this team.

Above all else is a nice early and late-season fixture for the Heat.

In BBL|10, Brisbane won 4 of 6 games at their home venue, with the losses coming by just 1 and 2 runs respectively.

There was great consistency shown at their home venue and with a run of 3 out of 4 games at the venue early in the season, as well as the final two games, Brisbane can be confident of getting on little runs at key moments in the season.

The Heat also kick their season off at Manuka Oval against a Thunder team they have an extremely good record against, before facing a test against a weakened Perth outfit.

Intangibles aren’t measurable, but are a key factor for this Brisbane team.

If the fixture remains as planned for the entire season, they have been awarded a nice run that has the potential to give all their players a heap of confidence with both bat and ball.

Statistically, the new international players are a fantastic fit into the top-order of the Heat, and the versatility of key personnel will no doubt be relied upon throughout the season.

Moreso, there is a strong group of 4 players outside of the team’s best XI that are in-form and can come in to play the exact role of the players they are replacing.

In footy, you need at least 25 good players to win a Premiership.

The Brisbane Heat have 15 options in their squad and a bunch of underrated talent that we haven’t seen before.

Sleep on the Heat at your own risk, as this is an underdog worth following.

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