Mitchell Owen’s remarkable innings of 108 runs off 42 balls propelled the Hobart Hurricanes to their first Big Bash League title, as they secured a commanding 7-wicket victory against the Sydney Thunder in the final held at Bellerive Oval on Monday. In pursuit of a target of 183 runs, the Hurricanes successfully surpassed this total with 35 balls remaining and 7 wickets to spare.
Sydney Thunder post a decent score as Jason Sangha plays the anhor
Batting first, Thunder commenced their innings with a robust performance, as the in-form David Warner partnered with Jason Sangha to establish a formidable 97-run opening partnership. This pair effectively navigated the initial phase of Thunder’s innings, setting a solid foundation for a late surge. Following a subdued first over, Warner ignited the innings by striking three boundaries off Cameron Gannon in the second over, thereby generating crucial momentum. Sangha also contributed significantly by attacking Riley Meredith, hitting both a boundary and a six.
In the 11th over, Nathan Ellis made a significant impact by taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries, shifting the momentum in favor of Thunder. Despite this, brief contributions from Sam Billings, Chris Green, and Oliver Davies enabled the team to post a respectable total, although they fell short of the acceleration they had aimed for in the final overs. Ultimately, that total was insufficient, as Owen quickly made Thunder aware of this reality during the chase.
Mitchell Owen's smashing ton help Hobart Hurricanes win the match and the BBL title
Nathan McAndrew began the innings by conceding five byes, followed by an inswinging delivery that eluded the batter and resulted in a boundary. Owens responded vigorously, hitting the last three balls of the opening over for a six and two fours. He continued this aggressive approach against Tom Andrews in the subsequent over and escalated his assault on Wes Agar in the third over, launching three shots over the boundary and one for another four.
Caleb Jewell was dropped when he had scored just five runs, but this did little to stem the onslaught from the other end. Owen struck a boundary off McAndrew in the fourth over, reaching his half-century in a mere 16 deliveries, marking the fastest fifty in BBL history. By the time Jewell was dismissed for 13 runs off 12 balls in the eighth over, Owen had already amassed 85 runs, propelling the team’s total past the 100-run threshold.
Owen completed his century in just 39 balls two overs later and immediately followed up with a slog sweep for another six off Jason Sangha. By the time he was dismissed in the 11th over, the match was effectively decided. Any potential for a Thunder comeback was swiftly extinguished by Matthew Wade, who scored a rapid 32 runs off 17 balls. Ben McDermott sealed the victory by scooping McAndrew over short fine leg for a boundary, bringing the winning runs.
SCORECARD: Sydney Thunder 182/7 in 20 overs (Jason Sangha 67, David Warner 48; Nathan Ellis 3-23, Riley Meredith 3-27) lost to Hobart Hurricanes 185/3 in 14.1 overs (Mitchell Owen 108, Matthew Wade 32*) by 7 wickets
