Tom Banton smashed the second-fastest fifty in the Big Bash League (BBL) history to propel Brisbane Heat to victory over Sydnꦐey Thunder by the DLS method iꦺn a rain-affected match at Sydney on Monday.
The weather saw a delayed start and then limited Heat to just eight overs in the first innings,𓆉 but Banton quickly made up for the lost time in a 16-run triumph.
The English batsman took just 16 balls to complete his fifty, ending on 56 after seven sixes that helped Heat post an impressive 119-4 on the board.
Further rain appeared the only hindrance to a dominant win, and neither the conditions nor Thunder – chasing 77 in a reduced five overs – could effectively intervene.
Banton blows Arjun Nair away
After bowling a dot ball in his very first over, things headed south for off-ꦐspinner Arjun Nair as he was taken to the cleane⛦rs by Banton.
The first of the five sixes disappeared over the boundary between deep mid-wicketღ and long-on befor💜e Banton launched the next delivery high into the air straight down the ground. The long-on fielder managed to catch the ball only for him to step over the boundary and drop it.
Banton then added insult🦋 to injury when he heaved one over deep mid-wicket for his third six. The൲n the next one was sent into the crowd over long-on before the Englishman danced down the track to lift another six in the deep mid-wicket region to complete the 30-run over.
Here’s the video:
This is just extraordinary.
Tom Banton launches five consecutive sixes!
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL)
