(Reuters) -Mitch Owen blasted the Big Bash League’s equal-fastest hundred on Monday to deliver Hobart Hurricanes their first T20 title, securing a seven-wicket victory against Sydney Thunder in the 14th tournament final at Bellerive Oval.
Thunder posted a competitive 182-7 from 20 overs after being sent in but Owen’s 108-run blitzkrieg off 42 balls ensured the hosts quickly assumed a commanding position in their reply, cruising to 185-3 with 35 balls remaining.
“We played some bloody brilliant cricket this year and we deserve to be here tonight,” said Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis.
Owen, whose 452 runs at a strike rate of 204 in a breakout season is sure to attract overseas attention, lashed out at the Thunder seamers who conceded 74 runs in the opening powerplay. The 23-year-old’s fifty, the fastest in a BBL final, came off 16 balls.
The Hobart local smashed 11 sixes and six fours as he watched opening partner Caleb Jewell (13) and Nikhil Chaudhary (1) depart in quick succession to legspinner Tanveer Sangha (2-43).
Undeterred, Owen continued to attack and a scurried two to bring up a 39-ball hundred, matching Craig Simmons’ 2014 effort for the Perth Scorchers, brought the jubilant crowd to their feet.
“I was just doing what I’ve been trying to do the whole competition, get us off to a good start so we can take it easy through the middle,” said Owen.
The dazzling knock ended when he holed out in the deep, leaving it to Matthew Wade (32 not out) and Ben McDermott (18 not out) to score the winning runs.
Earlier, Thunder openers David Warner and Jason Sangha bludgeoned 97 runs off the first 10 overs to stun the Hobart crowd.
The breakthrough came when skipper Warner, who had his Cricket Australia leadership ban for his role in the 2018 ball-tampering incident in South Africa lifted three months ago, was caught-behind for 48 off seamer Ellis (3-23).
Ellis then had Matthew Gilkes chopping on for a duck to spur momentum for the ladder-topping Hurricanes, who accounted for Sam Billings (20) when speedster Riley Meredith (3-27) rattled the stumps.
Sangha, who top-scored with 67, was caught off Ellis trying to up the ante as the hosts tightened the screws in the death overs.
The Australian domestic focus now returns to the red-ball Sheffield Shield on Feb. 8, while the national team embarks on a short tour of Sri Lanka ahead of their first Champions Trophy engagement against England in Lahore on Feb. 22.
(Reporting by Joel Dubber in Perth; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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