ABL Week 5 Wrap

James Lane

After a month of dominance, Round 5 finally brought the Sydney Blue Sox back to earth. Their franchise-record nine-game winning streak was snapped with not just one, but two losses over the weekend.

Heat Thwart Sydney's Shot at History

Thursday night felt like a turning point, not just for the series but for the entire season narrative.

Perth struck first, scratching out a run in the opening inning, and then hung around long enough to capitalise late. After Sydney finally broke through in the sixth and edged ahead 2–1 in the eighth, the Heat flipped the script with two runs in the ninth, silencing the crowd and halting the Sox’s nine-game winning streak with a 3–2 victory.

Sydney responded immediately on Friday. Two runs in the first, two more in the second, and suddenly the Heat were chasing a game that got away early. The Sox cruised to a 6–0 shutout, looking every bit like a team annoyed rather than shaken.

Saturday night belonged to Perth again. A three-run third inning cracked open a tight contest, and the Heat managed the game from there, winning 5–0 and proving Thursday’s result was no accident.

That left Sunday as a pressure release. Sydney jumped out to a 3–0 second-inning lead, absorbed a Perth pushback, and closed out a 5–3 win: enough to split the series, but far from the four-game statement they had envisioned a week earlier.

Giants and Bandits Split Again

Another split series sees Brisbane once more end the week on top - if only just - in the battle for second place.

Thursday opened with a back-and-forth 8–6 Bandits win, with the lead changing hands almost every inning. Friday raised the stakes further: Brisbane led 4–1 before Adelaide exploded for six runs in the fifth, stealing a 9–7 win.

Saturday then delivered two games that barely resembled each other, except in the final scoreline.

Game 1: A tense pitching duel through five innings (1–1) suddenly erupted when Adelaide posted three runs in the sixth and an outrageous nine-run seventh, blowing the game open en route to a 13–1 win.

Game 2: Brisbane responded in kind, and responded immediately. Four runs in the first inning set the tone, and the Bandits never let Adelaide breathe, storming to a 13–5 victory and restoring balance.

Looking Ahead

With the three postponed games still to be resolved, the standings remain unchanged from last week thanks to both series finishing 2-2:

1. Blue Sox: 14–5

2. Bandits: 9–10

3. Giants: 8–10

4. Heat: 6–12

Sydney remain clear on top despite their stumble. Brisbane and Adelaide are locked in a tug-of-war that feels destined to last all summer. Perth, still last, at least showed enough fight to suggest the season isn’t completely lost.

Next week brings two telling matchups:

• Giants travel to Sydney, where the Blue Sox will be eager to reassert control after an unexpectedly human week.

• Bandits head west to Perth, facing a Heat side that finally looks capable of punching back.