Hobart Hurricanes make their debut BBL|15 The side kicked off their campaign in style by defeating Sydney Thunder by four wickets in the third match of the season at Bellerive Oval, Hobart on Tuesday.
Chasing a competitive target of 181, Hurricanes showed composure and depth to win with one ball to spare.
Sydney Thunder scored 180 runs thanks to the valuable innings of Cameron Bancroft and Shadab Khan.
Sydney Thunder got off to a great start from Matthew Gilkes, who scored a quickfire 20 off just 7 balls, but his innings came to an abrupt end with the early dismissal of Billy Stanlake. Stanlake continued to apply pressure, removing Sam Konstas (28) and later dismissing Cameron Bancroft, who top-scored with 61 off 44 balls.
The Thunder faltered briefly in the middle overs as Chris Jordan removed Sam Billings and Oliver Davies twice in quick succession.
Chris Jordan’s ultimate beauty demolishes the middle stump! #goldenmoment pic.twitter.com/OOtiiwbzmj
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 16 December 2025
However, Shadab Khan (34 off 24 balls) and Daniel Sams (23 not out off 11 balls) carried the innings forward and provided late momentum.
The visitors finished with a strong lead, reaching 180/6, although Hobart’s disciplined bowling, led by Stanlake’s 3/34, ensured the total remained within reach.
Hobart Hurricanes’ top order sets the tone for the chase
Mitchell Owen and Nikhil Chaudhary provide early momentum
Chasing the target, Hobart had an aggressive start, Mitchell Owen dominated the powerplay and played a stormy inning of 32 runs with the help of seven fours in 14 balls. After Owen’s dismissal, Nikhil Choudhary took charge and played an important inning of 41 runs in 31 balls to carry the innings forward in the middle overs.
Ben McDermott drove the pace with an entertaining innings of 38 off 24, while the Hurricanes maintained a healthy run rate despite taking regular wickets to keep the required score in check.
Went! McDermott launched it from there and a replacement ball was called 🚀 #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/B1Oay3PIpN
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 16 December 2025
Tim David and Wade push late
The Hurricanes’ middle-order ensured that there was no panic during the chase. Tim David contributed a quickfire 17 off 9 balls, while wicketkeeper Matthew Wade played a crucial inning of 25 off 16 balls, combining smart strike rotation with aggression.
Although Shadab Khan briefly brought the Thunder back into the contest by taking two wickets, Hobart remained calm as the end approached.
Chris Jordan and Nathan Ellis complete the Hurricanes
With pressure mounting in the final overs, Chris Jordan (16 not out off 13 balls) and captain Nathan Ellis (5 not out off 8 balls) showed courage to guide Hobart to victory. Jordan’s calm presence proved decisive as the Hurricanes reached 181/6 in 19.5 overs. Victory confirmed by four wickets,
For Sydney Thunder, Shadab (2/36) and Chris Green (1/33) were the standout bowlers, but the total proved small on a good batting surface.
Defending champions Hobart Hurricanes opened their account with a win 🙂#Cricket #HHvST #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/oyl08pfRex
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 16 December 2025
Also read: Tim Seifert’s brilliant century helps Melbourne Renegades crush Brisbane Heat in BBL|15
