The Brisbane Heat overcame a controversial catch to down a hapless Sydney Thunder by five wickets in their Big Bash match at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
Dan Christian starred for the Heat, taking five wickets as the home side were bowled out for just 126 before the runs were chased down with 20 balls remaining.
The Heat were made to work for the win which at one point looked a formality.
The visitors were cruising at 0-26 after three overs when Thunder import Matt Prior claimed a suspect catch to remove Heat skipper James Hopes (8).
Prior, normally a wicketkeeper, was fielding at a widish first slip when he claimed a catch off Dirk Nannes (2-31) though replays suggested the ball had hit the grass before it reached him.
Hopes appeared to query the validity of the catch on the field before accepting Prior’s word and trudging off while replays were shown on the big screen.
It’s not Prior’s first controversial moment on Australian soil.
In 2011 he claimed Australian batsman Mitchell Johnson had been clean bowled in a one-day clash, despite knocking the bails off with his gloves.
The dismissal sparked a mini collapse as the Heat lost 4-31 on a tricky wicket before an impressive unbeaten 51 off 38 balls from right-hander Chris Lynn secured just their second win of the season.
The loss keeps the hapless Thunder, who slumped to their 10th defeat on the trot dating back to last season’s horror show, rooted to the bottom of the ladder.
Even the free-hitting Chris Gayle, despite top-scoring, failed to reach any great heights – scoring 28 at a run a ball, a relatively pedestrian rate for the man proclaimed as the best Twenty20 batsman in the world.
He put on 35 with Prior (18) before both were dismissed in Christian’s first over – a massive turning point in the game.
“They were looking dangerous,” Christian said.
“Obviously Chris had taken his time early on and with these short boundaries you know it’s not hard for him to hit them over.
“It was nice to get him and then obviously Matt straight after put the breaks on a bit.”
Christian’s figures of 5-26 are the best ever by a Heat bowler and the second-best from anyone this summer, trailing only Melbourne Stars firebrand Lasith Malinga’s exceptional 6-7 against Perth.