BBL: The Big Bash League is among the most exciting T20 leagues in the world. The BBL 2022-23 is all set to begin on December 16. Perth Scorchers will defend their title against the other top sides. With the new edition, fans will be treated to more thrills and excitement. The T20 format has always gathered a good crowd as compared to other formats of the game.
Because this format is full of surprises, and no one knows what can happen on the last ball of the game either. We have seen many instances where a batter ends the innings with a six. But there have been a few times when the team clinched the win by just one run. In this article, we will cover the list of the smallest wins in the history of the Big Bash League.
5. Perth Scorchers (1 run) vs Hobart Hurricanes in 2016
There have been ten 1-run victories recorded in the BBL so far. The fifth came in the 2016 season in a match between Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes. Batting first, Perth made a competitive total of 173/5 in their 20 overs. Michael Carberry played a good innings of 62 off 35 balls. In reply, Hobart had a decent start with skipper Tim Paine scoring 57 runs. But in the end, Hobart needed 16 runs to win and they only managed 14 runs and lost the match by 1 run.
4. Sydney Thunder (1 run) vs Melbourne Stars in 2015
The fourth 1-run win was registered in a match between Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars. It came in 2015 in Melbourne. Sydney scored 178/6 batting first in their first innings. Opener Usman Khawaja scored a brilliant unbeaten century. He made 109* off 70 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes. In reply, Melbourne had some good partnerships in the middle. Kevin Pietersen looked good for his 76 off 42 balls. But once he got out in the 19th over, Melbourne lost the momentum and fell short by just 1 run of the target and lost the match.
3. Brisbane Heat (1 run) vs Melbourne Stars in 2014
The 2014 season saw two wins with a 1-run margin. The second came in a match between the Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars at Brisbane. It was Brisbane who batted first and scored 164/8 in their first innings. Chris Lynn (48) was the top scorer. In response, Melbourne had a bad start and they lost their first three wickets for just 33 runs. But after that, they had a few good contributions in the middle. In the end, they needed 16 runs off the last over with Ryan Duffield bowling. He gave away 14 runs and won the game for Brisbane by 1 run.
2. Melbourne Renegades (1 run) vs Adelaide Strikers in 2014
The first 1-run win of the 2014 season came in a match between Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers. It was Melbourne who batted first after winning the toss. They scored 155/6 in their 20 overs. Dwayne Bravo ended up as the top scorer in the inning with 47 runs. In reply, Adelaide also had a decent start and they added some useful partnerships in the middle. They needed 14 runs in the last over with Dwayne Bravo as the bowler. Bravo bowled really well, and despite one boundary, he just conceded 12 runs in that over. Thus, the Melbourne Renegades won that match by 1 run.
1. Sydney Sixers (1 run) vs Perth Scorchers in BBL 2012
The very first 1-run victory in BBL came in the 2012 season. It was the Sydney Sixers vs. Perth Scorchers match at Sydney Cricket Ground. After winning the toss, Sydney batted first. They got all out for 176 runs in exactly 20 overs. Steven Smith played a brilliant innings of 51 off 25 balls. Chasing the target, Perth had a few hurdles at the start and lost three wickets for just 34 runs within six overs. But they gathered well and needed 13 runs in the last over to win. But in the end, they made only 11 runs and lost by one run.
List of Smallest Win Margin in BBL History (By Runs)
| Winner | Margin | Target | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sixers | 1 run | 177 | Scorchers | Sydney | 18 Jan 2012 |
| Renegades | 1 run | 156 | Strikers | Adelaide | 22 Jan 2014 |
| Heat | 1 run | 165 | Stars | Brisbane | 28 Dec 2014 |
| Thunder | 1 run | 179 | Stars | Melbourne | 20 Dec 2015 |
| Scorchers | 1 run | 174 | Hurricanes | Hobart | 10 Jan 2016 |
| Renegades | 1 run | 200 | Heat | Brisbane | 20 Jan 2017 |
| Strikers | 1 run | 179 | Renegades | Adelaide | 2 Feb 2018 |
| Thunder | 1 run | 143 | Scorchers | Sydney | 2 Jan 2019 |
| Hurricanes | 1 run | 151 | Heat | Brisbane | 30 Dec 2020 |
| Thunder | 1 run | 171 | Renegades | Melbourne | 19 Jan 2022 |