Josh Brown may have taken centre stage during Monday night's BBL challenger final for the Brisbane Heat, but his mother captured the hearts of the nation with her performance off the field.
In a mind-blowing innings of 140 from just 57 balls, Brown reached triple digits in just 41 deliveries, smashing all kinds of records and leading the Heat to a decisive victory over the Adelaide Strikers on the Gold Coast.
His mother was happy in the audience as the Heat opener set a BBL record with 12 sixes and 10 fours, helping the hosts to a massive first-inning score of 7-214.
“I’m just beyond stoked, he’s just the most amazing lad. So proud. So, so proud,”
~Brown’s mum said on Channel 7’s coverage during the innings
Brown, who played for the Heat in the BBL last season after being essentially pulled from Brisbane grade cricket, became one of the top power hitters in the league.
While not smashing hundreds in the BBL, Brown is still a bat maker and does not even have a central contract with the Queensland Bulls.
What an incredible career; he comes from making bats, he’s played grade cricket for so long in Brisbane and done so well, he finally gets the chance and he now has the biggest score in BBL finals history
~Seven’s Erin Holland said.
Unaware of the record her son had just broken, one of many on the night - Brown’s mum was left speechless by what he had just done.
“Really? Oh my goodness, that’s amazing! That’s amazing!” she said.
“Wow. All those training sessions, and... I’m, I’m... speechless.
“Seriously, he’s just an amazing, amazing man.”
By smashing Craig Simmons' 10-year-old record, Brown barely missed the second-fastest Big Bash League century. After being finally dismissed with the score at 192 in the 17th over, the Heat fell 4-5, allowing the visitors to re-enter the game.
Before settling for second place with Glenn Maxwell, Brown was on track to surpass Simmons' 39 balls. He also easily defeated the Heat's previous record, established in 2015, with Chris Lynn's 49-ball century. In addition, it was the third-highest BBL score, after Marcus Stoinis (147 not out) and Maxwell (154 not out).
The same amount of balls that Brown faced on Friday when he made a slow 15 in a loss to the Sydney Sixers—who will meet the winners in Wednesday's SCG final—he faced when he hit 50 in 22 balls.
Since then, the Carrara Stadium pitch has solidified. Brown quickly found his rhythm following the early departure of his opening partner Charlie Wakim, who had replaced leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson in a Heat tactical switch before the game.
After hitting front and back sixes and hitting midwicket and cover, Brown left no answer for the Strikers attackers who had done such a good job of upsetting the Perth Scorchers on Saturday. Like Wakim, Nathan McSweeney (33 off 29) contributed to a 119-run stand before being out in a close lbw call.
After hitting back-to-back sixes to end the tenth over, Brown just had a little luck when a skied pull shot dropped in between four Strikers fielders early in the nineties.
After hitting fellow Brisbane product Cameron Boyce over mid-on for six to reach triple figures, he appeared to catch fire and scored 38 runs in his next 14 balls before eventually failing to make a catch in the 17th over to put an end to the firing event.
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