Michael Neser had already plundered four fours in a row to settle the Brisbane Heat in a wobbly run chase at the SCG.
The fringe Australian Test quick then capped his heroics by muscling a Ben Dwarshuis delivery for four down the ground to send the Heat to the Big Bash League final.
Neser produced a destructive knock to lead the Heat to a four-wicket win over the Sydney Sixers, who had headed into the preliminary final as overwhelming favourites.
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As Moises Henriques and his teammates rue their big-game crash, Jimmy Peirson and company are eyeing a title-deciding match against the Perth Scorchers, who they’ll meet at Perth Stadium on Saturday evening.
While the Scorchers are the league’s most successful side and are hunting their fifth title, the Heat are pursuing their second crown and first since the 2012-13 summer.
The Heat struggled to pick off the runs in the preliminary final despite chasing just 117 to win.
Opener Sam Heazlett was the first to depart when he called his partner through for a run on an overthrow, before being run out at the bowler’s end.
Wickets continued to tumble, Brisbane crumbling to 5-56.
Enter Neser.
Three nights after claiming men’s domestic player of the year at the Australian cricket awards ceremony, the Queenslander blasted 48 runs from 32 balls, including seven fours, as the Heat cruised home with 10 balls to spare.
“How did you make it look so easy?” Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket’s post-game coverage, drawing a laugh from Neser.
“What was your mindset? Just stay as still as possible and play the ball as late as you could?”
Neser said that was “pretty much” his plan.
“Obviously it was quite tough to get started, but once you got the pace of the wicket it wasn’t too bad,” the gun all-rounder added.
“Also, a bit of luck there I had early on. But I guess it came off.”
Neser, who captured 2-28 in the preliminary final, could eclipse Sixers paceman Sean Abbott as the league’s top wicket-taker in the decider.
Abbott has snared 29 wickets at the average of 14.03 and economy of 7.44, while Neser has bagged 26 scalps at the average of 17.57 and economy of 12.6.
Neser has done exceptionally well in first-class cricket, particularly with the ball, but Australia’s phenomenal pace stocks have limited him to just two Tests.
The 32-year-old featured in the last two Tests played at Adelaide Oval, against England and the West Indies.
While he was a member of the Australian squad for the Test series against South Africa this summer, he was dropped for the tour of India.
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