The speedster performed in an almost must-win game for the Brisbane Heat.
As the game heads towards a fast paced affair with the shortest format quickly coming into effect, skills with both bat and ball in hand are valued like no other. Well, Xavier Bartlett would be the latest entrant into the list of players who have impressed with both bat and ball, after his cameo against the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26.
The Australian bowler could not live up to his expectations in the first innings with the all in hand, going for 48 runs of his four overs with a solitary wicket. Though it might be easy to rule it out as a rare failure for the right-arm speedster with the ball, he pretty much made it up in the other department. Bartlett got along with Max Bryant to stitch a 58-run stand to clinch victory for the Heat from the jaws of defeat.
The men with the light blue jersey had just four points in the league before walking out for this game, which was an unofficial do-or-die contest for them. Till the 15th over mark in the second innings, the game looked like it had drifted away from the Heat. But Xavier Bartlett and Max Bryant pulled it back to win it for the hosts.
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The Brisbane Heat would be happy looking at the performance that their players showed against the Stars. However, one more man would be smiling looking at what Bartlett was able to pull off with the bat – Mitchell Marsh. The Australian skipper would certainly believe that the right-arm pacer knows his way around with the bat, which is a value addition for the side.
The Australians announced their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, which is going to be played in the subcontinent. That is exactly one of the main reasons that they picked multiple spin-bowling options. However, someone like a Xavier Bartlett could add to that batting order, which will mean that the Aussies can go a bit more hard at the top.
In the nine balls that he faced, Bartlett took the bowlers down by scoring two boundaries and a solitary six for his 21 runs. His bowling already makes him one of the most favoured picks in the XI. Though his inclusion in the playing XI would be up for debate, his performance in the recent BBL 2025-26 clash would put the team management in a spot.
Bartlett is predominantly known for his bowling skills, which are quite up the roof. He gets a lot of seam movement off the deck, and would be useful on surfaces in the subcontinent under lights. More than anything, the Australian management would have a sense of relief after seeing what Xavier Bartlett can do with the bat in hand.
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