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Chris Lynn has credited the Brisbane Heat's selflessness for their revival as they prepare to play the Perth Scorchers for a spot in the BBL final.
No longer living and dying on captain Chris Lynn's bat, the Brisbane Heat will continue to push the team-first mentality and "get stuck into the keyboard warriors" as they meet the Perth Scorchers for a spot in the Big Bash League final.
The Heat recovered from a slow start to the season, winning three consecutive games to first qualify for the finals and then reach Thursday's Challenger final in Canberra
The winner will play the Sydney Sixers in Saturday's decider at the SCG.
Lynn enjoyed one of his most consistent campaigns with the bat, scoring a Heat-best 420 runs and notching five half centuries, but has managed just six and 10 in their must-win finals.
In Jimmy Peirson and Sam Heazlett the Heat have found alternative paths to victory in tricky chases.
Heazlett was recalled for the finals and defied a shaky start to score an unbeaten 74 to become the side's latest surprise contributor.
Brisbane have also used two legspinners effectively through the middle overs and utilised the X-factor substitution more strategically than other sides, by replacing Xavier Bartlett after just one over with veteran Morne Morkel.
BBL champions eight years ago, the Heat hadn't won another finals game until last Friday and their penchant for batting meltdowns had earned the ire of fans.
"I want to get stuck into those keyboard warriors and our haters and doubters ... I know the boys definitely felt that, even the start of this year when we were 1-4," Lynn said.
"Sometimes it hasn't been entertaining but we've got the job done and if we wind back 12 months that's a huge turning point for us."
Bartlett's ability to swing the new ball has seen him play a unique role for the side, bowling the first over of the innings before Morkel is employed as a death bowler.
It happened even after the 22-year-old Bartlett had bowled a maiden, and was unlucky not to have Usman Khawaja lbw, in their win against the Sydney Thunder.
"He was one of our last contracted players, but one of our most important," Lynn said.
"It's been about 'what does the team need from me right now' and that right now for X (Bartlett) is one over.
"He's a team man ... and what goes around comes around. He's doing a bit of the dirty work now but ... he's going to be a superstar."
He'll have his hands full against a dangerous Scorchers batting order that runs deeper than most.
"We can't expect them to roll over and for it happen for us; they've got match winners from 1-13," Lynn said.
"We have to do the basics well otherwise their top two (Jason Roy and Liam Livingston) especially will eat you up."
