Josh Brown is an Australian batter who plays for the Melbourne Renegades. Born on 26 December 1993 in Brisbane, he’s a 190 cm right-handed opener famous for one of the great BBL innings — 140 off 57 balls with a record 12 sixes. Brown won the BBL|13 title with the Brisbane Heat before joining the Renegades, where he’s now contracted to BBL|17.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 December 1993, Brisbane, QLD |
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
| Role | Batter (opener) |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium |
| BBL team | Melbourne Renegades (previously Brisbane Heat) |
| BBL debut | 15 December 2022 (Heat vs Renegades) |
Background: Early Life and Domestic Roots
Brown’s story is one of the best in the BBL. He started playing cricket at 13 after growing up a soccer kid, and rose from third-grade cricket to the Queensland Second XI in just 18 months. He never had a state contract. He makes cricket bats for a living — a bat maker from Brisbane’s northern suburbs who forced his way into a BBL deal through sheer weight of club cricket runs for Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club. He also had a stint in England with Histon CC, and in August 2022 he smashed 159 off 59 balls in the Queensland T20 Max — the second-highest score in that competition’s history.
His List A debut came for Queensland against New South Wales on 26 February 2023, and he later turned out for Victoria in the One-Day Cup. But it’s the T20 game where he’s made his name — no state contract, no academy pathway, just runs.
International Career
None yet. Brown’s route has been so unconventional that the national selectors have been slow to come around, but a 30-something opener with his power game is never far from a conversation — especially with Australia always hunting finishers and powerplay hitters. For now, the BBL is his stage, and it’s a big one. If he ever gets the call, it’ll be one of the great late-bloomer stories in Australian cricket.
Domestic and Franchise Career
Beyond the BBL, Brown’s franchise journey started with the Chattogram Challengers in the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League — 133 runs in six matches. He’s the classic late bloomer: a career built in Brisbane grade cricket, a breakout at 29, and now one of the most feared hitters in Australian domestic cricket.
BBL Career: Season by Season
BBL|12 (Heat): The debut season. Brown showed his power early — 62 off 23 balls to win Player of the Match in January 2023 — and helped the Heat reach the final. Raw, fearless, and clearly something special.
BBL|13 (Heat): Immortality. In the Challenger against the Adelaide Strikers at Carrara, Brown smashed 140 off 57 balls with 12 sixes — a BBL record for sixes in an innings, the highest score in a BBL finals game, and the equal second-fastest hundred in tournament history (41 balls, level with Glenn Maxwell). Then he backed it up with a match-winning 53 off 38 balls in the final against the Sydney Sixers, dragging the Heat to the title. Across the season he finished as the club’s leading run-scorer with 366 runs from nine games at a strike rate of 150.62, and his 23 sixes ranked second in the tournament behind Matt Short’s 25.
BBL|14 (Renegades): The big move. After the title win, the Renegades poached Brown on a two-year deal as the replacement for retired greats Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh. The Heat were gutted — they’d made what Queensland Cricket called a “very competitive” two-year offer, but Brown chose Melbourne. He debuted for the Renegades against the Sixers in the season opener, with talk of opening alongside young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk — a mouth-watering prospect for Renegades fans who’d endured a forgettable previous season.
BBL|15 (Renegades): Brown kept developing his game, working on finishing innings lower down the order to add another string to his bow. He recommitted to the Renegades with his contract now running to BBL|17.
Playing Style and Strengths
Brown is pure entertainment — a fearless opener who attacks from ball one. He’s 190cm of leverage through the leg side, murderous on anything short, and his bat speed lets him clear big boundaries with ease. When he’s in, bowlers have nowhere to hide. His powerplay strike rate is among the best in the league, and he hits sixes in clusters — once the first one goes, the over usually goes with it. There’s no complicated technique to decode; it’s timing, power and total commitment to the attacking option. That’s what makes him box office.
Recent Form and What to Watch
Consistency is the next frontier. Brown’s peaks are as high as anyone’s in the league, but the Renegades need him firing across a full season, not just in finals. With the Renegades adding more firepower around him — including the signing of Ben Manenti and Jonny Bairstow’s arrival — BBL|16 is his chance to become the league’s most feared opener week in, week out. A settled opening partner and a clear role could be all he needs: Brown has never had a long uninterrupted run at the top, and this might finally be it. Check the BBL 2027 schedule for Renegades fixtures.
Key Stats
BBL|13 Season (Brisbane Heat)
| Matches | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 366 | 40.67 | 150.62 | 140 | 23 |
The Record Innings
| Score | Balls | Sixes | Hundred off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | 57 | 12 (BBL record) | 41 balls |
Last verified: 18 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Josh Brown’s highest BBL score?
140 off 57 balls against the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL|13 Challenger — with a BBL-record 12 sixes.
Which BBL team does Josh Brown play for?
Josh Brown plays for the Melbourne Renegades, contracted to BBL|17. He previously won the BBL|13 title with the Brisbane Heat, where his 57-ball 140 in the Challenger remains a club record.
Did Brown win a BBL title?
Yes. His 140 in the Challenger and 53 in the final powered the Heat to the BBL|13 championship.
See the BBL 2027 schedule for Renegades fixtures, meet the other BBL 2027 teams, and check the BBL 2027 points table once the season starts.