South Afrওican star AB de Villiers has kept the Brisbane Heat in the playoffs hunt, with his first BBL half-century guiding his side to a 71-run win over the Melbourne Stars on Saturday.
After winning the bat flip, the Heat posted 186-5 on the board, thanks to some lusty late♒ hitting by de Villiers, the Stars𝔍 fizzled to be all out for 115 runs in reply at the MCG.
Heat were seventh going into t🤡he clash with three defeats in a row but can still make the playoffs with a win over the Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium on Monday.
Stars’ opener Marcus Stoinis, the competition’s leading run-scorer, belted 16 off the first over but departed for 17; Peter Handscomb top-scored with just 27.
Glenn Maxwell (1), Nic Maddinson (9) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (0) were dismissꦫed in quick succession in a pivotal ಞbatting collapse.
Mitchell Swepson (3-31), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-11) and James Pattinson (2-17) did the damage for the Heat with the ba💮ll.
De Villiers helped set up the re✨sult, smashing six sixes on his way to 71 from 37 balls, with three of them c♎oming from the final over of the innings bowled by Stars debutant Dilbar Hussain.
The Proteas veteran also took the gloves in place of regular wicketkeeper 🐻Jimmy Peirson and was involved in a run-out of Handscomband (27) and the stumping of Adam Zampa (1).
Here is how Twitter reacted:
What we've been waiting to see from … 😍
MASSIVE!
— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL)
AB de Villiers assists a Mujeeb run-out.
Pete Handscomb is the victim of the mix-up 😬
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL)
That's quite ferocious from AB de Villiers 😳😂
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL)
That satisfying smile from AB 💙😍
— RajuTarak🇮🇳 (@TarakActivist)
//twitter.com/YashdeVilliers/ඣstatus/1🎃221031028921233408
AB de Villiers.. Remember the Name.
— anaam. (@Aayan4910)
//twitter.com/Comm🙈ander_offl♛/status/1221008941737336833
Can't ever write off a champion.
Superb performance by AB de 𒆙Villiers to give Heat a crucial win.
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog)
AB De Villiers wins his first Man Of The Match Award in the BBL, we've witnessed the same vintage ABD today!! Was so pleasing to watch him in this form.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)
With gloves 🤩
This is soo goooood!😭❤️— AB’s (@Aditiab17)
