Following his record-breaking performance in the BBL finals, Brisbane Heat opener Josh Brown found his phone inundated with messages from celebrities and fellow athletes. The cricket world was buzzing with excitement over his incredible knock, marking the most outrageous performance in BBL finals history. Understandably, Brown had a challenging time getting much sleep after his match-winning 140 off 57 balls, which propelled the Heat to victory against the Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger on the Gold Coast.
“It [messages] hasn’t stopped,” Brown told media in Brisbane on Tuesday. “I haven’t really felt it [sink in] yet. I’m pretty tired. It was pretty special to do it in a final… for the team and rewarding for myself.
“To do what I did in a pressure game was surreal.”
Despite being the top team in the regular season, the Brisbane Heat faced concerns over their batting order as it was depleted ahead of the finals due to various withdrawals, notably from batting imports Colin Munro and Sam Billings, who departed for the UAE’s ILT20.
In their first defeat of the season, the revamped Heat managed only 128 against the Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium. Their struggles continued in the Qualifier on a challenging Gold Coast surface, where they were bowled out for 113 by the Sydney Sixers, resulting in a 39-run loss.
With two consecutive defeats, doubts arose about the Heat’s chances for the title. The situation intensified as they entered a must-win clash against the in-form Adelaide Strikers, who had turned their season around with the formidable leg-spinning duo of Cameron Boyce and Lloyd Pope.
Josh Brown, positioned at the top of the order, had hoped to make a significant impact. However, his performance in the previous match against the Sixers was less than stellar, as he managed a scratchy 15 off 22 balls. Struggling to connect the bat to the ball, he played out a maiden over at the beginning of the innings and eventually fell victim to seamer Ben Dwarshuis after nicking off.
“I played and missed at everything, swung too hard,” Brown said.
Brown regrouped by focusing on slowing down his swing and making sure he watched the ball closely. Advice from Heat assistant coach Darren Lehmann rang in his ear too.
“Don’t change your intent, but hit the ball where it is meant to go,” Lehmann told Brown ahead of the Strikers match.
What unfolded next was extraordinary for a batsman who had displayed occasional flashes of powerful batting but had not yet fully harnessed his potential. In his preceding 21 BBL innings, Brown had managed an average of just 20.52, with only one half-century to his name.
The Brisbane Heat chose to bat first on a pitch that seemed more favorable for batting than in the Qualifier. Brown, from the outset, showcased impeccable hitting skills. He dispatched sixes over midwicket off seamers Henry Thornton and James Bazley. In response, the Adelaide Strikers brought in legspinners Boyce and Pope, who had collectively taken seven wickets against the Scorchers in the Knockout at the pace-friendly Optus Stadium.
In an assertive manner, Brown aggressively attacked the legspinners, particularly Boyce, hitting three consecutive sixes in one over. Notably, Boyce had only conceded eight sixes in ten previous matches during the season.
Brown appeared poised to break the record for the fastest BBL century, a feat set a decade ago by Craig Simmons with a 39-ball ton for the Scorchers. However, he fell just short of the mark. Nevertheless, on his 41st delivery, Brown smashed Boyce over the covers for his ninth six, achieving his maiden BBL century. His innings concluded with a remarkable 12 sixes, establishing a new record for the highest individual score in BBL finals history.
