Lynn & Labuschagne pair keep Brisbane Heat alive in the hunt for playoffs

BBL 10 Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat Highlights: Brisbane Heat won by 26 runs

Brief Score: BRH - 173/5 (Lynn 52, Labuschagne 49, Zak Evans 3/34)

MLR - 147 All-out (18.4 overs) (Harper 57, Steketee 3/41, Swepson 2/26)

Player of the Match - Marnus Labuschagne

Skipper Chris Lynn and Labuschagne came up with handy knocks followed by disciplined bowling efforts with the ball as Brisbane Heat managed a crucial 26-run victory over Melbourne Renegades to keep their hopes alive in the race for qualification. With this clinical win, Brisbane grabs all four points to move up to the fourth spot on the points table. However, they have only one more match remaining and might have to depend on other results going their way to progress to the next round.

Chasing a stiff total of 174, the bottom-placed Renegades did lose skipper Finch early and then Marsh after the latter got a start but Harper kept them in cruise mode despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Once he fell for 57, the innings just rattled despite the odd boundary in between.

STILL IN THE HUNT! 7⃣⏫4⃣ #HeatWIN#BringtheHEAT #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/ZMCh9IJTvo

— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL) January 23, 2021

Marnus Labuschagne did a bit of everything for the @HeatBBL today! @KFCAustralia | #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/f3Peersy30

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 23, 2021

Credit to Heat's bowlers, who used the pitch well, mixing up their pace and lengths, and cramping the batsmen for runs. For Heat, Steketee picked three while Swepson and Barlett picked a piece of wickets.

Earlier, Brisbane Heat won the toss and opted to bat, both openers put a solid base by adding a fine 78-run stand for the opening wicket. BRH skipper Chris Lynn notched his 26th half-century but fell just after that. After Lynn's dismissal, Renegades put pressure on Heat as they sneaked in a few tight overs and also managed to pick up the wickets of Denly and Burns.

But it was Labuschagne who was playing only his second BBL game of the season took the responsibility to power Heat towards a strong total. Labuschagne took the attack to Hatzoglou in the 18th, hammering a four, followed by a massive six over deep square leg fence. Although he fell to Evans after played a glitzy knock of 49, Gregory and Peirson scored useful runs as Heat finished on a strong note.