Brisbane: Brisbane Heat produced one of the most extraordinary batting performances in T20 history, pulling off the highest-ever run chase in Big Bash League (BBL) history by successfully hunting down a massive 258-run target against Perth Scorchers in a six-laden thriller at the Gabba on Friday.
The chase now stands as the third-highest successful chase in T20 cricket, behind Punjab Kings’ 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 and South Africa’s 259 versus West Indies in 2023. It also surpasses the previous BBL record of 230 chased by Adelaide Strikers against Hobart Hurricanes in the 2022–23 season.
Historic Hundreds and Record Partnership
The remarkable chase was headlined by Matt Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth, who etched their names into cricket history. The duo became the first pair ever to score centuries in a T20 run chase and the first two batters to hit hundreds in the same men’s T20 innings on Australian soil.
Their breathtaking 212-run second-wicket partnership is now the highest partnership for any wicket in BBL history, overtaking the 207-run opening stand by Marcus Stoinis and Hilton Cartwright for Melbourne Stars in 2019–20.
Six-Hitting Frenzy at the Gabba
Both Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers smashed 18 sixes each, the joint-most by a team in a BBL match. Combined, the teams hit a staggering 36 sixes, setting a new league record and surpassing the previous mark of 26.
The contest produced an astonishing 515 runs, making it the first-ever BBL match with a 500-plus aggregate and the first T20 match in Australia to reach that milestone. It was only the sixth T20 game globally where both teams crossed the 250-run mark.
Bowlers Endure a Tough Night
Bowling records also tumbled in Brisbane. A total of 10 bowlers conceded 40 or more runs, the most in any T20 match. Cooper Connolly was the lone exception, finishing with an economy rate under ten after conceding just 12 runs in two overs.
In contrast, Matthew Kuhnemann leaked 60 runs, the most ever conceded by a spinner in a BBL match. Brody Couch endured a particularly difficult outing, conceding eight sixes—the most off a single bowler in BBL history—and reaching 50 runs conceded in just 2.2 overs, the second-fastest in league history.
One Rare Quiet Over
Amid the relentless onslaught, the 14th over of the chase stood out as the most economical, yielding just six runs, including byes and leg-byes. It was one of only four overs in the entire match without a boundary, as every other over produced eight or more runs—another unprecedented benchmark in men’s T20 cricket.
The Gabba spectacle will go down as one of the most explosive matches the BBL has ever witnessed, redefining the limits of run-scoring in Australian T20 cricket.
