Australian Test opener, Joe Burns found his feet in the Big Bash League (BBL) 10, playing for Brisbane Heat after being dropped from the squad for the remaining two Tests against India.
Burns, who has been in woeful form in the lead-up to the Border Gavaskar Trophy and could play only one significant innings of 51* in the four innings he played in the two matches, was dropped for the final two games in Sydney and Brisbane.
Subsequently, he was drafted into the Brisbane Heat's squad right away. In the first innings for the Heat against the Sydney Sixers, Burns could score only one run off seven balls after he opened the batting.
However, something clicked for the 31-year old batsman from Queensland as he was timing the ball from the middle of the bat on Monday against the Sydney Thunder.
Coming in at No 4 after the loss of Chris Lynn, Burns had the resposibility to shepherd the Heat's innings after Max Bryant and Lynn gave a flying start to their innings.
Burns found a great ally ion Englishman Joe Denly, as both kept chipping away at the boundaries and kept ticking the scorecard as after being 50/1 in five overs, they knew nothing extraordinary was not needed to take them home.
Burns played aggressive at the start, hitting a coupld of sixes and a boundary to racxe away to 27 off 11 balls. After which he took time and completed his much-needed fifty to bring the men in teal on the cusp opf a win. However, he couldn't win the game as he was dismissed by Nathan McAndrew immediately after completing a well-compiled half-century.
Burns hit 5 fours and a couple of sixes as he made 52 (38) and won the Player of the match for his efforts.
Burns-Denly helped Heat to notch their third win in their last four games.
