Hurricanes Beat Strikers by 44 Runs in Dominant Bowling Display, Nathan Ellis Named Player of the Match
New Delhi: Hobart Hurricanes produced a one-sided and dominant performance to defeat Adelaide Strikers by 44 runs in Match 28 of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025–26 at Bellerive Oval on January 9, 2026. Playing a night game at home, the Hurricanes scored 178/6 and then bowled out the Strikers for 134/9 in 19.3 overs.
With this convincing win, Hobart Hurricanes moved to the top of the BBL points table. It was their fifth win in seven matches, strengthening their chances of reaching the playoffs. Meanwhile, Adelaide Strikers continued to struggle, especially with their batting, which once again let them down.
Toss and Hurricanes’ Innings: Fast Start, Strong Finish
Adelaide Strikers captain Matthew Short won the toss and chose to bowl first, as the pitch offered some early help to seam bowlers. However, the Hurricanes countered this with an aggressive start in the Powerplay.
Mitchell Owen set the tone by smashing 33 runs off just 9 balls, hitting 2 fours and 4 sixes. He also smashed 21 runs in a single over off Liam Scott. Owen was well supported by Rehan Ahmed, who scored 29 off 17 balls with two fours and two sixes. Together, they added 38 runs quickly.
Tim Ward chipped in with 17 off 17 balls before falling to Tabraiz Shamsi. The middle order then worked to stabilize the innings. Nikhil Chaudhary scored 23 off 17 balls, while Ben McDermott added 18 off 23 balls. However, quick wickets at 122/4 and 123/5 briefly put pressure on the Hurricanes.
At this crucial stage, captain Matthew Wade and Macalister Wright stepped up. Wade scored 27 off 19 balls, while Wright remained unbeaten on 20 off 17 balls. Their 50-run partnership in 34 balls for the sixth wicket helped Hobart reach a competitive total of 178/6. The Hurricanes also received 9 runs in extras.
Strikers’ Bowling Effort
Among the Strikers’ bowlers, Jamie Overton was the most economical, taking 2 wickets for just 13 runs in 2 overs. Luke Wood picked up 2 wickets but conceded 48 runs. Tabraiz Shamsi finished with 1/19 in 4 overs, while Lloyd Pope claimed 1/33. Despite picking wickets, the Strikers struggled in the death overs and failed to contain the scoring.
- Fall of wickets (Hurricanes):
42/1 (Owen, 2.3), 80/2 (Ahmed, 6.4), 82/3 (Ward, 7.2), 122/4 (Chaudhary, 13.3), 123/5 (McDermott, 13.6), 173/6 (Wade, 19.5) - Strikers’ Chase: Early Collapse and Lone Fight by Liam Scott
Chasing 179, Adelaide Strikers suffered a shocking start. They collapsed to 8/4 in just three overs, one of the worst starts in BBL history.
Captain Matthew Short scored 2 off 4 balls before falling to Riley Meredith. Mackenzie Harvey was bowled for 0 by Meredith. Chris Lynn managed only 5 runs before edging behind off Nathan Ellis, and Jason Sangha was dismissed for 0, also off Ellis.
From there, Liam Scott fought a lone battle. He played an outstanding knock of 84 not out off 55 balls, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes. This was his highest score in T20 cricket. Scott focused heavily on cover drives, scoring 19 runs through that region alone.
Unfortunately for the Strikers, none of the other batters could support him. Harry Manenti (3), Jamie Overton (8), Jerrssis Wadia (1), Luke Wood (11), and Lloyd Pope (5) failed to build partnerships. The innings ended at 134/9, with Pope run out and Tabraiz Shamsi unbeaten on 1. The Strikers also added 14 extras.
Hurricanes’ Bowling: Complete Control
Hobart’s bowlers delivered a complete team effort.
• Rishad Hossain: 3/26 in 4 overs
• Riley Meredith: 2/16 in 3 overs
• Nathan Ellis: 2/7 in 2 overs
• Rehan Ahmed: 1/31 in 4 overs
The combined effort of spinners Rishad and Rehan along with pacers Ellis and Meredith completely dismantled the Strikers’ batting lineup.
Fall of wickets (Strikers):
7/1 (Short, 1.1), 7/2 (Harvey, 1.3), 7/3 (Lynn, 2.3), 8/4 (Sangha, 2.6), 31/5 (Manenti, 5.6), 48/6 (Overton, 8.1), 62/7 (Wadia, 9.4), 93/8 (Wood, 14.2), 125/9 (Pope, 18.4)
Result and Player of the Match
Result: Hobart Hurricanes won by 44 runs
Player of the Match: Nathan Ellis for his excellent bowling figures of 2/7 and smart leadership as captain.
Key Match Stats and Highlights
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Strikers’ Top-Order Performance | Top four batters scored only 7 runs combined |
| Liam Scott’s Fifty | 50 off 35 balls |
| DRS Reviews (Hurricanes) | 1 successful (Lynn out), 1 unsuccessful (Overton not out) |
| Powerplay Scores | Hurricanes: 55/1 |
Scoring Rate Comparison
| Team | 50 Runs | 100 Runs | 150 Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Hurricanes | 18 balls | 65 balls | 102 balls |
| Adelaide Strikers | 52 balls | 93 balls | — |
Team Line-ups
Hobart Hurricanes:
Tim Ward, Mitchell Owen, Rehan Ahmed, Ben McDermott, Nikhil Chaudhary, Matthew Wade (wk), Macalister Wright, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis (c), Rishad Hossain, Riley Meredith
Adelaide Strikers:
Matthew Short (c), Chris Lynn, Mackenzie Harvey (wk), Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Harry Manenti, Jamie Overton, Jerrssis Wadia, Luke Wood, Lloyd Pope, Tabraiz Shamsi
Impact on BBL Points Table
The win took Hobart Hurricanes to first place with 10 points from 7 matches and a net run rate of +0.187. Adelaide Strikers slipped further down and missed a key chance to improve their position.
Other leading teams include Perth Scorchers (8 points, NRR +1.320) and Melbourne Stars (8 points, NRR +1.091).
Overall, this match underlined Hobart Hurricanes’ strong home form and deep bowling attack, while Adelaide Strikers continue to struggle with batting consistency as the tournament heads toward the finals.
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