Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Murray Wenzel

Konstas fires, Heat spun out: Thunder get on BBL board

Matt Gilkes and Sam Konstas's 127-run stand set up the Thunder for a BBL victory over the Heat. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Sam Konstas fired before Shadab Khan spun the Sydney Thunder to victory as Brisbane Heat's threat to make more Big Bash League history was cooled in Canberra. 

The Pakistan leg-spinner took 4-24, including the prized scalp of Matthew Renshaw, in a 34-run win after the hosts had posted 4-193 on Monday.

Brisbane were fresh off their jaw-dropping successful chase of 258 against Perth - easily the BBL's biggest - in which Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth scored hundreds.

Shadab Khan.
Shadab Khan was low flying as he picked up four Heat wickets. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Shadab had both batters clean-bowled attempting to sweep, picking up Wildermuth and fellow opener Colin Munro in his first over before Renshaw (43 off 28) was undone trying to reverse sweep.

Renshaw and emerging batter Hugh Weibgen (30 off 26) had steadied the innings in a 70-run partnership that had the Heat poised to chase down what would have been a Manuka Oval BBL record.

Weibgen then lapped a sweep into his own stumps and the chase, on a wicket keeping low and slow, was all but dead with five overs remaining.

Shadab made sure of it though, with another wrong'un beating an advancing Tom Alsop, who didn't even attempt to recover his ground.

Konstas.
Konstas was in fine touch scoring 63 off 45 balls including eight fours. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Nathan McAndrew's maiden in the second over set the tone while Daniel Sams (2-25) was economical as the Heat finished on 6-158.

It was the Thunder's first win in their third game of the season, while the Heat fell to 1-2.

Earlier, Konstas (63 off 45) and fellow Thunder opener Matthew Gilkes (76 off 48) laid the framework in a 127-run stand.

Konstas hit boundaries to all corners of the ground while Gilkes punished anything on his pads.

Sam Billings (25 off 11) came and went with a bang and David Warner lasted just four balls for his seven.

But what looked likely to be another monstrous chase was wound back thanks to Wildermuth (2-25), Shaheen Afridi (1-35) and left-arm offspinner Matt Kuhnemann (1-29), who could find himself back in a baggy green on Boxing Day.

"Took a bit of time, but a good team performance. Hopefully we can go on from there," Konstas told Fox Sports of the Thunder's first win.

Gilkes has opened instead of Warner this season and was rewarded with a big score after promising starts in the first two games.

"He's an X-factor and has been smacking them the last few games, playing with absolute freedom and clarity," Konstas said.

"The wicket was staying a bit low, it was hard to hit the off-pace balls, so we were running really hard and trying to pick our moments."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.