In a high-octane clash at The Gabba, Brisbane Heat edged out Melbourne Stars by four wickets in the 20th match of Big Bash League|15 on January 2, 2026, chasing down 196 with just two balls to spare. Brisbane Heat, who won the toss and bowled first, restricted Stars to 195/6 before mounting a tense pursuit that kept 31,948 fans on edge. Max Bryant‘s unbeaten 48 off 26 balls, laced with three fours and four sixes, proved decisive in this pulsating encounter.
Melbourne Stars set a competitive target for Brisbane Heat
Stars powered their way to 195 for six after coming out with clear intent, fully exploiting the powerplay to surge to 47 without loss in the first four overs. Sam Harper set the early momentum with a fluent 37 from 23 balls, cracking five fours and a six, as he stitched together a 52-run opening stand with Thomas Rogers, who added 13. The partnership was broken in the sixth over when Thomas Balkin clean-bowled Harper. Marcus Stoinis then took charge with a composed 43 off 35 deliveries, while Campbell Kellaway lifted the tempo through a brisk 29 from just 14 balls, peppered with six boundaries. Their 53-run stand for the third wicket carried the Stars beyond 100 by the 11th over, even as Glenn Maxwell failed to get going.
The Heat fought back strongly in the middle phase. Xavier Bartlett accounted for Stoinis, while Matthew Renshaw and Matthew Kuhnemann provided crucial breakthroughs, triggering a slide from 113 for four to 137 for six, with Tom Curran departing for two. Stability returned late as Hilton Cartwright remained unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls and Blake Macdonald unleashed a late burst, hammering 37 not out from 12 deliveries with four fours and two sixes. Their unbroken 58-run stand in just 19 balls pushed the Stars to an imposing total at a run rate of 9.75. Kuhnemann impressed with figures of one for 22, but the Stars’ late surge ensured a tough challenge under the lights.
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Max Bryant’s fiery innings powers Brisbane Heat past Melbourne Stars in BBL|15
Brisbane Heat were rocked early as their innings stumbled in the opening phase, losing Jack Wildermuth for 15 to the guile of Peter Siddle and Colin Munro for just 3, undone by Tom Curran, to slide to 34 for 2 inside the powerplay. Skipper Nathan McSweeney steadied the ship with a composed 43 from 31 balls, finding solid support in Renshaw, who struck a fluent 41 off 27. Together, the duo stitched a vital 69-run partnership for the third wicket, lifting Heat to 103 for 3 by the 12th over after bringing up their fifty in only 5.5 overs.
The momentum shifted again when Mitchell Swepson struck twice, dismissing both set batters to leave Heat at 107 for 4, before Hugh Weibgen followed soon after at 109 for 5. Pressure mounted further as Jimmy Peirson fell for 14, caught off Haris Rauf, reducing the total to 133 for 6.
That was when Bryant turned the game on its head. Blasting an unbeaten 48 off 26 balls, Bryant launched four towering sixes, including decisive hits in the 17th over, pushing the score beyond 150 by 16.5 overs. With Bartlett chipping in with a brisk 21 not out from 9 deliveries, the pair added a stunning 66 runs for the seventh wicket in just 20 balls. Heat raced to 199 for 6 in 19.4 overs at a scorching rate of 10.11. Despite Siddle and Swepson picking up two wickets apiece, Bryant’s blistering strike rate of 184.61 left the Stars stunned and powered Brisbane Heat up the standings in what became BBL|15’s tightest finish yet.
An outstanding win for Brisbane Heat 💪🔥#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/NgTHLYezmF
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 2, 2026
