BBL 09: Finch, Nabi take Renegades home to crush Heat's play-off hopes 

Skipper Aaron Finch continued his good form as Melbourne Renegades ended the season with a win.

Melbourne Renegades hosted Brisbane Heat in the final league-phase encounter of the ninth edition of the Big Bash League this Monday (January 27). Renegades, already out of the competition, had only pride to salvage but for Heat, this was as important a game as any with a victory allowing the team to jump multiple places in the points table and sealing its berth in the play-offs round. 

Heat won the toss and opted to bat before perhaps regretting the call as no one from the team's top-six batsmen made significant scores barring Matt Renshaw, whose sedate half-century (65 off 47) somehow pushed the side past the 150-run mark, as Heat finished with a less than ideal total of 154/7 in 20 overs. 

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Will Sutherland ended the innings with the figures of 3/30 for Renegades, who also had Samit Patel (1/23), Cameron Boyce (1/29), Mohammad Nabi (1/23) delivering economical spells. 

In the run-chase, Tom Cooper got his team off to a quick start, scoring a 10-ball 23 before he was dismissed. His fellow opener and skipper Aaron Finch, however, batted at a normal tempo with the bigger picture in mind, hoping to stay there till the end and got able support to do so from Nabi. 

Finch ended with an unbeaten half-century (49-ball 63) and Nabi scored 38 not out off 28 deliveries as they took Renegades home batting with great maturity, bringing the end to their team's insipid campaign on a happy note and also putting the Heat out of the title race. 

Brief scores: 

Brisbane Heat 154/7 in 20 overs (Matt Renshaw 65; Will Sutherland 3/30) lost to Melbourne Renegades 155/3 in 19.2 overs (Aaron Finch 63*; Ben Cutting 2/35) by seven wickets