A key player in the Brisbane Heat’s KFC BBL title win, Matthew Renshaw was on an early flight back to Queensland as the Test squad’s back-up batter

Matt Renshaw has skipped the Brisbane Heat’s title celebrations to take an early flight back to Queensland and be on stand by for Australia’s Test squad.

One of the heroes of the Heat’s 54-run win at the SCG on Wednesday night, Renshaw will return to his role as reserve batsman for the Test team on Thursday.

The Queenslander hit a crucial 40 from 22 balls late in the Heat’s innings, allowing the Brisbane side to build enough pressure before the Sixers were all out for 112 in reply.
But while other Heat players began celebrating their win, Renshaw was preparing for a 10am flight to be ready to take the field for Australia in the day-night Test.

With Covid-19 running through the national squad, it is not implausible that Renshaw could be called upon as a substitute if a player falls ill.

“They haven’t said anything, but you’ve got to always be ready,” Renshaw said.

“Someone could get hit in the head with the first ball of the Test match so you’ve got to be ready for that and you’ve got to prepare like you’re going to play.

“It’ll be a quiet night for me.”
Renshaw’s return was crucial for the Heat.

The club were staring down the barrel of losing their top five batsmen from the penultimate regular-season round for the finals, with star imports headed overseas.

Called into the Test team, Renshaw was told he would only be released to feature in the BBL finals for matches on the east coast.

It meant that if Perth had finished top two and hosted the final, the Heat would have been without the 27-year-old.

“I’m pretty fortunate that didn’t happen,” Renshaw said.
“There were periods of time where I probably didn’t think I was playing in this game so it’s really nice to be out here with the boys.

“They’ve been up front and honest about it, but for me, it’s just been the challenge of going from red ball to white ball to red ball to pink ball to a white ball.

“It’s probably challenged me a little bit in that respect, but it was nice to leave my best until last tonight.”

Renshaw was not alone in impressing for the Heat, with Josh Brown banging another half-century and Spencer Johnson claiming the best figures in a final with 4-26.

“When someone can bowl 150kph, it’s always pretty special. If you add the left arm into it, there’s not many of them,” Renshaw said.

“The way he’s going at the moment is amazing for us as a Heat organisation to sort of take that little gamble on him and the way it’s turned out.”