Chris Lynn made some special cricket history on Wednesday night, winding back the clock in a stunning display against his former BBL club the Brisbane Heat. The 35-year-old blasted 79 off 41 balls as the Adelaide Strikers won the New Year’s Eve clash by seven wickets.
The Heat capitulated to 121 all out while batting first, before Lynn got the Strikers home in just over 14 overs. Lynn’s innings included one six that took him past the 4000-run mark in the BBL – the first player to achieve that feat in the competition’s history.
Chris Lynn became the first player in BBL history to pass 4000 runs. Image: Getty/Fox Cricket
Playing his 300th career T20 game, the veteran batter thumped six fours and six sixes as the Strikers won the marquee December 31 clash for the first time since 2018. His half-century off 30 balls also gave him a record-extending 32nd fifty in the BBL.
Lynn played 11 seasons for the Heat before he was controversially let go by the Brisbane franchise before the 2022/23 season. He’s averaged 42 in four seasons since joining the Strikers.
Lynn’s knock took him to 4065 career runs in the BBL, with the retired Aaron Finch the next closest with 3311. Glenn Maxwell is third with 3282 runs and counting, while Moises Henriques has 3188 and is still playing.
“Chris Lynn put away the Heat from the outset,” Kerry O’Keeffe said on Fox Sports. “It was just royal stuff from Lynn-sanity.”
Chris Lynn and Liam Scott celebrate after the Adelaide Strikers’ win over the Brisbane Heat. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Brisbane Heat batters flop in woeful scenes
The Heat crashed to 5-21 in the sixth over while batting first, before Matt Kuhnemann made a T20 career-best 31 not out and Hugh Weibgen got 28 to help Brisbane avoided total embarrassment and post a respectable score. The Heat’s top three batters – Colin Munro (4), Jack Wildermuth (5) and Lachlan Hearne (2) – all fell in identical fashion after miscuing shots to mid-off.
Jamie Overton (3-19), Liam Scott (2-12) and Hassan Ali (2-29) were the pick of the Strikers bowlers who did the damage. Lynn started his record-breaking night with a superb runout of Matt Renshaw, throwing down the stumps with a left-handed under-arm from side-on.
Adelaide’s English import Overton said after the game: “Started very well with a few wickets in the powerplay. To keep picking up wickets was great. Then obviously very clinical from Lynny to see us over the line quite comfortably.”
with AAP