A sensational unbeaten 85 off 48 balls from Chris Lynn earned Brisbane Heat an unlikely three-wicket victory over Sydney Thunder in an enthralling match at Spotless Stadium.
The top scorer in last season's Big Bash League, Lynn hit 10 fours and three maximums, making the most of three dropped catches as the Heat mounted a phenomenal recovery from 63-6 to successfully chase down 158 for a second straight win.
Lynn stepped up in the void left by the dismissals of opening duo Jimmy Peirson (0) and Brendon McCullum, whose total of four took him past 7,000 Twenty20 runs.
Pat Cummins' (2-46) phenomenal pace helped puncture the Heat's innings early on, but he had no answer for Lynn who sent him to the boundary off five successive balls in an over that cost 21 runs.
The Thunder were not without their chances to get Lynn out. Ryan Gibson ran in from the rope and saw a mishit fly out of his reach for six on 58, while wicketkeeper Jake Doran and Shane Watson put down balls they ought to have taken as Brisbane closed in on victory.
Lynn opted for a single ahead of the final over but Mark Steketee (12 not out) got the star man back on strike, and he finished the job by flicking Andre Russell to the square-leg boundary.
The Thunder remain without a win in three BBL matches this season, though Eoin Morgan's (52) maiden fifty in the competition will provide some optimism ahead of their next match against Perth Scorchers.
RUSSELL CAN'T HANDLE THE HEAT
Back in the middle with his black bat, West Indies all-rounder Russell failed to prove worthy of such extravagance as he made just eight runs before lofting Ben Cutting (1-24) to Joe Burns at long off. He failed to impress with the ball and cost 24 runs off 3.4 overs, while he let Jack Wildermuth (29) slip through his grasp for a maximum when fielding by the ropes.
CUMMINS SHOWS HIS QUALITY
A Test recall has been mooted in recent weeks for the fit-again Cummins and he showed his class by bowling both McCullum and Alex Ross (4) with deliveries clocking 150 and 151 kilometres per hour. However, shipping 21 overs in a single over to Lynn later in the game may have undone some of that work.
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