Teams Status

Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat started the tournament with two straight defeats but have since won two of their last three matches and currently boast eight points.

In their last game, they beat Adelaide Strikers, thanks to the batting heroics of Ben Duckett (78 off 47) and Sam Heazlett (49 off 30), with their 114-run partnership for the fourth wicket helping the Heat post a mammoth 208-run total.

Both the batters have been in good form for the Heat and have contributed earlier in the tournament as well. Considering that their top order remains a hit-and-miss unit, Duckett and Heazlett’s presence at number four and five saves the day for their side quite often.

One major cause of concern for the Heat should be the form of their premier Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rehman, who has taken just one wicket in five games and has also started to bleed significant runs of late.

Melbourne Stars

After two consecutive wins following an embarrassing defeat in their campaign opener, confidence had been restored in Melbourne’s camp. But losses in each of their last two games have again brought Melbourne back in a position where they could be doubting their ability.

The defeat to Sydney Sixers was hard to swallow considering they had posted 177 — more than enough to win most matches. But even harder to take was the subsequent loss to similar-sized opponents Hobart Hurricanes.

On both occasions, their bowlers were to blame. First, they did not manage to defend 177 against the Sixers and then they allowed the Hurricanes to post 180. Their batting has quite a lot of talent but the ball hurlers are not able to match that effort.