Former Oak Flats junior and Sydney Sixers legendary pace bowler Brett Lee was forced to dig deep for the final time in his illustrious career when he was called upon to tame the Perth Scorchers in the final over of Wednesday night's Big Bash League final at Canberra – and he almost worked a miracle.
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Perth needed eight runs to win their second T20 title when Lee bowled the final over. His first ball was hit by Michael Carberry for four, his second for two, the third a single, before Nathan Coulter-Nile, crowded by fieldsmen, was bowled by the 38-year-old.
Sam Whiteman was then bowled by Lee, sending the Manuka Oval crowd into an uproar as they chanted his name. With Lee on a hat-trick Yasir Arafat took strike and ... spoiled a great party when he scrambled through for a single and beat Michael Lumb's throw at the stumps.
Sixers' skipper Moises Henriques was upset he fumbled the ball when there was a definite chance to run Arafat out, but he was realistic about it.
"I'm not really feeling all that dirty," said Henriques of the lost opportunity. "I thought it was a difficult ball to catch ... if you were out there and someone pegged the ball to you from seven metres away it's not that easy on a rough square like that.
"I would've preferred it on the full, to be honest, but Lumby made a judgment call and I back Lumby for that call. I should have taken it –but I didn't. There's nothing I can do about that now, but look forward to next season."
To the victors go the spoils: The Perth Scorchers celebrate their second straight Big Bash title. Photo: Getty Images
It was cruel, but 3-25 was a fitting ending for Lee, who fought back from stress fractures that almost crippled his career before it started. Like the great showmen, Lee left the stage with the crowd wanting more.
"He's still bowling quick, he's still bowling well," said Henriques of his failed attempt to convince Lee to play in the Champion's League. "It's not his body giving in, I think mentally he's decided it's enough for him ... he's still good enough to perform at this level, as we saw tonight."
Lee, who said he'd never smiled so much after a loss, said he suffered a "first".
"I said [to someone] 'the last ball of my career, I'll rip my hammy off the bone and I reckon I've done it'," he said. "I don't know if I could've bowled the super over because I have tweaked my hammy. I've never done a hamstring in my life ... 21 years of fast bowling, I've tweaked my hammy."
Lee said he would only have fond memories of his last hurrah.
"I've left nothing in the tank," he said.
The Sixers set Perth 148 to win the title after a disastrous top-order collapse saw Lee's team lurch to 4-53 at the end of the 10th over. However, the Sixers' bowling attack accepted the challenge.
Lee opened the defence with a lively over that conceded only one run, but he was kept in reserve until the 12th over when Perth openers Michael Klinger (33) and Shaun Marsh (35) had settled in, without scoring at an electrifying rate, with the score 0-69.
Lee, who took 310 Test wickets, dismissed Klinger with the third ball of his second over when Sean Abbott took a good catch in the deep. The over produced only two runs and provided the Sixers with some hope.
Doug Bollinger followed up in the 17th over and, with the Scorchers needing 44 from 24 deliveries, he was hit for a six before combining with wicket-keeper Ryan Carters to remove Adam Voges for 20.
At 2-113, the Scorchers were far from home.
With the Scorchers desperate to increase the run rate, they took 15 off Lee's third over, including a big six by Marsh, but the Sixers continued to fight. With 17 runs needed from 12 balls, spin bowler Nathan Lyon dismissed Marsh for 73 and struck again two balls later to remove Ashton Turner for a duck.
It set up a memorable finale after the Sixers batsmen were skittled by Perth's pace attack.
Michael Lumb was bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile for three in the second over leaving the Sixers at 1-5. Riki Wessels followed a few balls later when Jason Behrendorff, a Canberra boy from the nearby Tuggeranong Valley and finding fame in Perth, bowled him for two.
Sydney were reeling at 2-7, but Nic Maddinson, who belted 85 from 48 deliveries in the semi-final against Adelaide, inspired confidence when he joined his captain Henriques.
He and Henriques had compiled a handy partnership of 37 when Arafat uprooted Maddinson's stumps on 19. The scoreboard read 3-44 when Jordan Silk took strike. He lasted four deliveries before being confounded by the wily 43-year-old Brad Hogg.
At 4-49 it fell upon Henriques and Carters and they dug in. Testimony to how tough it was to score, it took until the fourth delivery of the 19th over before Henriques hit his team's first six.
It was a gutsy knock by the skipper whose 77 from 57 deliveries steadied what had resembled a sinking ship when he marched to the crease.
He enjoyed solid support from Carters who shared an invaluable 98-run partnership and finished unconquered on 35.
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