‘Wasn’t good at apparently’: Renshaw’s cheeky quip as BBL heroics put Aussie cricket on notice

Brisbane Heat star Matt Renshaw was, for the first time ever, one of two players to ton up in a run chase of dreams at the Gabba on Friday night.

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The player of the match wowed the crowd with a stunning 102 from 51 balls that acted as the catalyst in the greatest chase in BBL history. It was a knock that underlined a white-ball renaissance that could soon demand national attention.

Renshaw, once labelled a stoic long-format specialist after bursting onto the Test scene as a teenager a decade ago, showcased a vastly expanded arsenal as Brisbane hunted down a record 258 against the Perth Scorchers in unfathomable scenes.

“Still don’t believe it,” Renshaw said post-match.

“It was an incredible effort. A lot of people probably put us out of the contest and I think we did as well after the first ball,” Renshaw added, referencing Colin Munro being dismissed in a far from ideal start.

Renshaw’s highlight-laden innings — featuring clean striking to all parts of the ground — was built on trust rather than talk, with Renshaw saying there was very little said during his record-breaking 212-run stand with Toowoomba hero Jack Wildermuth (110 not out, 54 balls).

“We didn’t talk too much. It was just trust yourself,” he said.

It marked the first time in BBL history two batters had scored centuries in a run chase, with Renshaw revealing a quirky prelude to his gangbusting ton.

“I had a hit in the indoor nets during the innings break and I hit them so bad,” he said.

“We had a bit of luck on our side tonight.”

He was right. It was hard to imagine Perth could’ve been more ill-disciplined than Brisbane (11 wides, three no balls) in the field but they bowled 15 wides and one no ball.

Once viewed as an unlikely T20 player, Renshaw now owns a white-ball record that continues to strengthen his case across all formats.

“T20 cricket for me was always something I wasn’t good at ‘apparently’,” he said.

“It’s enjoyable to be able to do something like that.”

Renshaw missed out on the 15-man Ashes squad last month and while he previously explained that he tried to avoid looking at any squad speculation, the 29-year-old admitted once the series got underway he started to fall into the trap of following along.

“I sort of had a little blip the last couple of weeks with the Ashes going on, being a supporter, trying to watch it, just getting interested as a supporter,” Renshaw said, according to AAP.

“So a few things crept in, and a bit of frustration ensued.

“So I sort of got my head back on the train the last couple of days, and it really worked out well.”

Even though he shot to prominence as a Test cricketer a decade ago in India, his white ball record has been far better than his red ball record.

Early in his test career, he was regarded as a defensive player but innings like the one on Friday prove he has shots all over the ground and is entering a purple patch which will surely see him get more recognition at national level – in white and red ball cricket.

His class in white-ball cricket is undeniable and these types of heroic knocks are the building blocks toward his recall to Test cricket. A recall which could come sooner than expected.

Wildermuth, meanwhile, was “still in a little bit of shock” when he spoke to Fox Cricket after the game.

“Going into the sheds at half time there, we had a few to get – sitting here winning the game is pretty surreal, to be honest,” he said.

“We didn’t speak too much (in the innings break), to be honest… we just had a crack. Bad night to be a bowler, to be honest.

“For the Heat to give me an opportunity at the top — I’ve been sitting there when we won the premiership a couple of years ago, the boys had a great season last year, we had some really good players playing. So to finally get my opportunity, I’m stoked just to be out here in front of my home crowd and my friends and family.”