Chasing the Heat's 6-201, Matthew Wade hit a six when he needed just one off the final ball in Brisbane on a Thursday-night chase delayed by more than 10 minutes by a roaring fire.
With the Hurricanes 0-47 from four overs and hurtling towards the target, players could only stand and watch as staff attempted to quell the flames on a stage below the Gabba scoreboard for more than 10 minutes.
1 ball left. 1 run to win.— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) MATTHEW WADE! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/894NbJgqnWJanuary 16, 2025
Eventually they succeeded and once the smoke cleared, Caleb Jewell (76 off 49), Mitch Owen (44 off 20) and Nikhil Chaudhary (39 off 27) hit their straps with some help from sloppy Heat fielding.
Twice, Nathan McSweeney misjudged catches on the boundary while import wicketkeeper Tom Alsop dropped a regulation edge and then let through four byes just as the Heat were applying pressure in the power surge.
Spencer Johnson (3-26) still dragged the hosts back into the contest though, picking up Tim David in the penultimate over and leaving the Hurricanes needing 11 off the final six balls from Xavier Bartlett.
Matthew Wade took three off the first two deliveries before Jake Doran squeezed a top edge past third man for four.
Play was delayed at The Gabba when a fire broke out in the stands. — KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/v2J2OktfuFJanuary 16, 2025
Doran's scoop then landed safely as he scrambled another couple.
They then rushed a single before Wade tucked a low full toss over square leg for six to seal the win.
"I didn't know what was going on, just saw the crowd going off," Jewell told AAP of the fire.
"We would have lost not only that one but a few others in previous seasons. They haven't been pretty but we're finding a way and happy to be."
The loss leaves the Heat (3-5) needing to beat Melbourne Renegades on Saturday and relying on other results to ensure a finals berth, while the Hurricanes' (7-1) first-place pursuit remains on track.
"We haven't spoken much about finals, probably going to have to now," Jewell said.
"But we're hosting a home final either way, so Hobart's up and about."
There was an injury scare for Sri Lanka-bound Heat spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who ran from the field in pain clutching the thumb of his non-bowling right hand after attempting to field off his own bowling.
Hurricanes opener Caleb Jewell hits a boundary again in their win. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)
The Heat came out of the blocks well thanks to returning Test opener Usman Khawaja (23 off eight balls), Marnus Labuschagne then the steady hand as Matt Renshaw (40 off 25) continued his barnstorming form.
The left-hander's risky second run backfired, Tim David's outfield throw catching him just short.
Tom Alsop (39 off 27) took up the task and Labuschagne accelerated in a boundary-laden power surge to notch his highest BBL score.
The Test No.3 was out off the final ball of the innings, days before departing for the tour of Sri Lanka via a Dubai training camp.
"To come in and have an impact in one game is satisfying but to not win, it feels a bit irrelevant," Labuschagne told AAP.
"Thought we did enough with the bat but we lost small moments ... fielding cost us."
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