Smashing ... Pomersbach hit the fastest 50 of BBL'02 to guide the Heat to victory. Source: Nikki Davis-jones / News Limited
A brutal onslaught from Luke Pomersbach has powered Brisbane Heat into the semi-finals of the KFC T20 Big Bash League.
T20 - Blundstone Arena
12 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 2
Heat 1st Innings
| J. Burns | 41 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 151.85 |
| D. Christian | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
| J. Wells | 0.1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24.00 |
Pomersbach smashed the fastest 50 of the competition as the Heat demolished Hobart Hurricanes by eight wickets to set up a date with Melbourne Renegades at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.
Chasing the home side's below par 3-150, the Heat made a mockery of Hobart's battle with what had appeared a sticky Bellerive pitch to reach the target in just 14.1 overs.
Pomersbach's 50 came from just 24 balls and his 82 from 42 included 13 fours and two sixes.
The Heat finish the regular season equal on eight points with the Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers but with a superior net run rate.
Pomersbach had the Heat off to an absolute flyer, which didn't relent as they motored along at close to 11 an over.
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Paceman Doug Bollinger (1-41) went for 27 from his first two and Jason Krejza wasn't sighted again after taking 0-31 from his first two.
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Peter Forrest (18 from 11) was caught in the deep off Bollinger at 1-39 but the onslaught continued and in-form paceman Ben Laughlin was dispatched for 20 from his first over.
Pomersbach and Joe Burns (41no from 27) put on 107 from 55 balls to destroy the Hurricanes finals hopes.
| P | W | L | NR | T | Pts | NNR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renegades | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.791 |
| 2 | Scorchers | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1.322 |
| 3 | Stars | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.246 |
| 4 | Heat | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.464 |
| 5 | Strikers | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.162 |
| 6 | Hurricanes | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.569 |
| 7 | Sixers | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.38 |
| 8 | Thunder | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.36 |
Hobart needed a late flourish from Jonathan Wells (40 from 24) and Englishman Owais Shah (32 from 28) to make their score competitive.
The home side had scratched their way to 3-84 before Wells and Shah put on 66 from 42 balls.
The Hurricanes managed just a single six, hit by Ricky Ponting (17 from 16), with miserly Heat, skipper James Hopes bowling a miserly 1-18 from his four overs while Dan Christian took 2-32.
A brilliant outfield catch from the Heat's Burns typified their night.
Burns grabbed the ball with an outstretched left hand before tiptoeing along the boundary and somehow staying on the field of play to dismiss Travis Birt (32 from 25).
The match doubled as an appeal for the devastating bushfires that hit Tasmania during the week.
Pomersbach will have scans on an injury suffered when a Bollinger delivery hit his foot.
"I'm pretty positive that it's going to be OK," he said.
"Even if it is cracked I reckon I'll be hiding the X-rays."
He said the Heat would be full of confidence after winning three of their past four.
"We're the underdogs now,'' he said.
"We're going in there, we're going to give it everything and I've got a really good feeling about it."
Hurricanes captain Tim Paine said his side had been 30 runs short.
"We probably misjudged the wicket a little bit although I think it probably suited their bowlers, that sort of slow medium pace," he said.
