Cricket: Brendon McCullum succumbs to heat in loss

Brendon McCullum succumbs to heat in the 11th over. Photo / Getty Images

The Melbourne Renegades have kept their Big Bash League finals hopes alive with a stunning one-run win over the Brisbane Heat.

In a see-sawing match in hot, humid conditions at the Gabba, the Renegades won on the final ball, with Heat tail-ender Mitch Swepson run out at the non-strikers end - after a third wide delivery of the over by Luke Rimmington.

The Heat did not need to run but Swepson's communication mix-up with Mark Steketee proved costly.

It was a bizarre and breathless way to finish but it will do for the Renegades, who remain in the hunt for a top-four spot, although they need other results to go their way to qualify for next week's semi-finals.

Sent into bat, the Renegades set the hosts a target of 200 to win after openers Aaron Finch (71) and Marcus Harris (48) combined to punish some loose bowling from the Heat's pace attack.

Brisbane looked every chance of hauling it down - at least during skipper Brendon McCullum and Alex Heazlett's sizzling second-wicket partnership of 71 off just 27 balls, which put them right on track.

Heazlett was the first to go, holing out on the square leg boundary after hitting 28 off 12.

Then

They never regained their momentum after that, despite gallant attempts from Ben Cutting (35) and Joe Burns (35), who smacked back-to-back sixes in the last over but fell trying to chase a third.

The sell-out crowd of 35,112 was a new record for domestic cricket at the Gabba.

And they certainly got their money's worth, with both teams explosive during their batting powerplays.

McCullum was the pick of the batsmen, hitting six fours and three sixes, and reaching his half-century off just 18 balls.

But the Renegades' slow-bowling brigade, led by Brad Hogg (1-18) and Sunil Narine (2-38), successfully applied the brakes on Brisbane's innings.

So frantic was the finish that Finch thought the Heat still had a wicket in hand.

"I didn't even take into account they were nine down," he said.

"I was telling the boys to get back, we're already over our time."

It all happened pretty quick, to be honest. Jeez, it was a good game of cricket."

Heazlett said the Heat weren't too discouraged by the finish and won't blame Swepson or Steketee for the result."

It was tough through the middle, they bowled really well," he said.

"Our guys put our best effort in and it wasn't quite enough - a bit of confusion in the heat of the moment with the run-out, it's going to happen every now and then, I guess."

- AAP