Brisbane Heat pulled off one of the most extraordinary victories in T20 history as Matt Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth smashed record-breaking centuries to hunt down a staggering target and stun Perth Scorchers in a run-fest for the ages.
In a match that defied logic and shredded record books, Heat chased down Scorchers’ 257 for 6 — at the time the second-highest total in Big Bash history — to complete the greatest chase the competition has ever seen and the third-highest successful pursuit in all T20 cricket. The drama peaked with one ball to spare.
Renshaw and Wildermuth were the architects of the miracle. The pair combined for a breathtaking 213-run stand, the highest partnership ever recorded in the BBL. Renshaw blazed his way to 102 from 51 balls, while Wildermuth produced a career-defining innings, finishing unbeaten on 110 from 54 deliveries. Both sides cleared the ropes 18 times each, eclipsing the previous BBL team record of 17 sixes.
Perth had every reason to believe they were home. On a surface offering little mercy to bowlers, Finn Allen and Cooper Connolly unleashed a barrage of power hitting, sharing a second-wicket stand of 142 from just 64 balls. Allen smashed 79 from 38 balls, while Connolly followed up his recent IPL deal with another commanding half-century, racing to 77 from 37.
Even Shaheen Shah Afridi, eager to rebound after a difficult BBL debut, found no respite as Heat’s bowlers were taken apart. All five conceded at least 11 runs per over, with Afridi’s figures of 1 for 49 reflecting the punishment dished out late in the innings. Heat’s troubles deepened when captain Nathan McSweeney injured his ankle attempting a catch, ruling him out of the chase.
The task looked near-impossible when Colin Munro fell first ball to Jhye Richardson, playing his first game of the season after training with Australia’s Test squad. Richardson thought he had Renshaw cheaply as well, only for a no-ball to hand the Heat opener a priceless reprieve — a moment that proved decisive.
From there, chaos followed. Renshaw and Wildermuth swung with fearless intent, unsettling the normally clinical Scorchers attack. Wildermuth was given a life on 42 when Ashton Turner spilled a straightforward chance, and the punishment was severe. Heat were flying at 131 for 1 at halfway, then tipped the balance decisively by plundering 42 runs in two overs.
A brief lull arrived when Connolly’s left-arm spin slowed the scoring, but Renshaw soon reignited the fireworks, celebrating his century off 48 balls with unmistakable passion. A late run-out added one final twist, leaving Heat 47 runs short with Renshaw gone and Max Bryant forced to retire hurt with a shoulder injury.
Still, Wildermuth refused to let the moment slip. With calm power and unwavering belief, he carried Heat home, striking the winning runs to trigger scenes of disbelief and delirium around the ground.
Earlier, Scorchers’ innings had felt unstoppable. Allen and Connolly swung like men possessed, sending balls deep into the stands and threatening Melbourne Stars’ all-time BBL record of 273. Though both eventually fell, Scorchers surged past their own previous best and appeared comfortably in control at the interval.
What followed was something no one saw coming. Against an elite attack, with injuries mounting and odds stacked heavily against them, Brisbane Heat produced a chase that will be replayed and remembered for years — the night Renshaw and Wildermuth turned the impossible into history.
