Big Bash League 2023-24, Final: Brisbane Heat Beat Sydney Sixers For Second BBL Title - Match Report

Brisbane Heat became only the third team in history to win the Big Bash League more than once when they beat one of the other two, Sydney Sixers, in the 2023-24 Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Over 43,000 fans attended the match, a stark upturn from the six thousand that had shown up to witness the Heat beat Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger just days prior. For Brisbane Heat, the best side of the competition during the regular season, the victory was a deserved one, brought on by outstanding spells with both the bat and the ball. (More Cricket News)

Having beaten the would-be champions in a Qualifiers just days earlier, Sydney Sixers won the toss at the SCG and chose to field first. However, despite Sean Abbott's four-wicket haul, the Sixers couldn't limit their opponents to a modest target; Heat, instead, soared past the 160-run mark in spite of losing eight wickets and set a total of 167 for them to chase. Josh Brown and Matt Renshaw shone for the Brisbane outfit, with the former scoring 53 in 38 while the latter 40 in 22. 

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The target within their sights, Sydney Sixers embarked on their quest to add another crown to their burgeoning silverware cabinet but found themselves lacking the requisite tools for it with barely any time elapsed in their innings. The wickets fell rapidly, Brisbane's Spencer Johnson the star of the show, and the game was over by the 18th over; Sydney had been knocked out for a meagre 112 runs. Moises Henriques stood out as the highest run-scorer for the Sixers at a paltry 25.

Speaking after the match, Brisbane Heat captain Nathan McSweeney revealed his delight and expressed his heartfelt gratitude toward his teammates, the organisers, and the SCG audience. 

"Fantastic feeling," McSweeney remarked. "This is what you played for. Congratulations to the Sixers, who have been an excellent side forever. Well done to Steve O'Keefe. Thanks to Colin Munro, Usman, Marnus, and Billings, who aren't here with us. Congrats to CA on the successful tournament and the Sydney crowd."

Brisbane Heat are now the third-most successful team in Big Bash League history, trailing Sydney Sixers by one. Perth Scorchers remain unmoved at the summit, however, with five championships to their name.