Better known for his bowling speed than his skill with the bat, the 28-year-old quick bowler also took two wickets for 32 runs.
“It’s one of those wins that you look back on midway through the tournament and you really lean on that for confidence,” he said.
With the Heat seemingly on their way to a comfortable win, the Thunder were 5-80 and chasing 179 when Sams arrived at the crease.
Hitting seven sixes and three fours to flip the momentum, Sams formed a devastating 69-run partnership with former Heat all-rounder Ben Cutting who finished the game on 29 runs.
