World Cup-winning master blaster Glenn Maxwell has marvelled at Jake Fraser-McGurk, but the young gun's scintillating half-century wasn’t enough to lift the Melbourne Renegades to their first win of the BBL season.
Fraser-McGurk had fans ducking for cover at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night as he whacked the visiting Brisbane Heat attack for seven sixes.
The 21-year-old notched his first half-century in the competition from just 21 balls and finished with 55 from 23, laying the groundwork for the Renegades' to post 8-162.
But Matt Renshaw posted an unbeaten 49 from 37 balls to steer the clinical Heat to a six-wicket victory, reaching 4-163 with 11 balls to spare.
Renshaw’s fourth-wicket partnership with Sam Billings (40 off 29) reaped 72 runs, before the 14-Test batter and fellow left-hander Paul Walter (30no off 15) finished the job.
English allrounder Walter (3-27, four overs) was named player of the match after claiming the important wickets of Aaron Finch (two off eight), Will Sutherland (12 off nine) and Fraser-McGurk.
"All you want to do is help win games for the team so it's a great feeling when you do that," Walter said.
"The match-winning partnership was Renshaw and Billings through the middle.
"When I came out we only needed seven or eight an over and with wickets in the shed that late it gives you a bit of a licence.
"It was an amazing partnership from them and they marshalled the middle of that innings after a difficult start."
It was the Heat’s third win from four games this season, while the Renegades have lost two of three.
Both sides have had one match finish with no result.
Fraser-McGurk set a world record for the fastest century in a 50-over match in October and hit 48 of 24 in his side’s BBL season-opening loss to the Sydney Sixers.
Nicknamed "Rooster'' by his teammates, he was the only Renegades top-order batter to get a handle on the pitch on Thursday night.
His brilliant knock earned high praise from former Victoria teammate Maxwell.
"No one in Australia is better to watch then (sic) Fraser-McGurk," Maxwell posted on X.
"Easily the most talented young batter in the country. His potential doesn't actually have a ceiling."
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting echoed Maxwell’s sentiments, saying Tuesday’s IPL auction came too early before Fraser-McGurk’s entertaining display.
"It obviously makes you feel pretty good being praised by two greats of Australian cricket," Fraser-McGurk said.
"I sort of wish this game was a couple of days before the IPL draft - it could've been a bit different, but who knows."
Brisbane speedster Spencer Johnson celebrated his monster $1.78 million IPL payday with the prized wicket of the Renegades' South African star opener Quinton de Kock for a seven-ball duck.
But Johnson finished with figures of 1-39 from four overs after his final over, the last of the innings, went for 16.
It included four overthrows from a wild Mitchell Swepson throw.
