HEAT CRUISE TO DOMINANT WIN OVER STARS!
Brisbane Heat have stormed to a big win away from home to kick off their BBL title defence
Injury-hit Brisbane Heat have kicked off their BBL title defence with a crushing eight-wicket win over the Melbourne Stars at the MCG.
Chasing the Stars' 6-162, the Heat cruised to victory with 11 balls to spare as 'keeper Jimmy Peirson (72*) batted for the entire innings to post his highest BBL score.
Peirson combined for an unbeaten 78-run stand with Max Bryant (36*) to deflate the Stars, who were pegged back by Xavier Bartlett (3-25).
The Stars looked uninspired in the field, creating few chances, with Brisbane appearing in charge of the chase from the outset.
It leaves the Stars, perennial under-achievers, winless after their first two games following a defeat to the Perth Scorchers on Sunday night.
Missing English recruit Tom Alsop (quad), star import Colin Munro (hamstring), as well as star quicks Spencer Johnson (toe) and Michael Neser (hamstring), the Heat handed debuts to Daniel Drew and Tom Whitney.
Jack Wood, who played the last of his two previous BBL games in 2022, opened with Peirson, compiling an important 27.
Keeper Sam Harper (46) top-scored for the Stars, but was bowled by Matt Kuhnemann when he seemed set for a big total.
In his 100th game for the Stars, captain Marcus Stoinis took down Paul Walter for 16 runs in one over, but the veteran allrounder picked out Wood to be dismissed for 26 during the first ball of the power surge.
Veteran Hilton Cartwright made 15 for the Stars, just three days after he was taken off Optus Stadium on a medi-cab and placed in a neck brace following an awkward dive in the field.
Cartwright was released from hospital after being cleared of a serious neck injury following the incident.
In better news for the Stars, veteran Glenn Maxwell has declared himself a certain starter for Friday night's clash with the Strikers at the Adelaide Oval.
Maxwell injured his hamstring playing in a T20 for Australia in November in a major blow for his ambitions of being picked for next year's Test tour of Sri Lanka.
But the 36-year-old had a bowl on the MCG before the Stars played the Heat, later saying he would be fit to return against Adelaide.
“I should be (back on Friday to take on the Adelaide Strikers),” Maxwell said on Fox Cricket.
“It’s been a lot of a harder grind than I probably thought it was going to be.
“I feel really proud that I have been able to shorten the recovery time.
“I think my expected return date was probably around Boxing Day so to be able to get back a little bit earlier and face off against the Strikers on the Friday, I’m really proud of.”
The Heat will be next in action on Sunday when they host the Strikers at the Gabba.
