A stunning century from opener Luke Wright has helped the Melbourne Stars keep their Big Bash League finals hopes alive with a 19-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes at Blundstone Arena on Monday.
It was the second successive defeat for Hobart, while the Stars' second win on the trot evened their season ledger at 3-3.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Stars had Wright's blistering 117 to thank for leading them to 3-203 from their 20 overs, and in reply the Hurricanes looked strong at stages during their innings before eventually posting 9-184.
Wright was at his brilliant best at the top of the order, taking advantage of the short boundaries at Blundstone Arena by cracking nine sixes and eight fours on his way to a breathtaking 117 from 60 balls, smashing several records along the way.
The Englishman's 50 came off 23 balls, the fastest half-century in the Big Bash League to that point, and his century was made from just 44 deliveries, making it the quickest ton in Australian domestic T20 history.
His opening partnership of 172 with Rob Quiney, who was also in superb form with 62 runs off 50 balls, is the highest partnership ever in Australian domestic T20 cricket, but the pair were aided by some deplorable fielding from the home side.
First Travis Birt put Wright down off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, and after Ben Laughlin dropped him off the first ball of the next over from Rhett Lockyear, the Englishman made the Hurricanes pay with three successive sixes to close the over.
Rana spilled a sitter off his own bowling that would have dismissed Quiney, and with the next ball the opener cracked a four that broke Shaun Marsh and Wes Robinson's record of 168 for the highest partnership in Australian domestic T20.
Quiney fell for 62 off 50 balls, including four fours and a six, with the score on 172 when he holed out to Birt on the boundary off Rana, bringing Cameron White to the crease.
Wright eventually fell to Rana and the Stars went on to post 3-203 from their 20 overs.
Rana was the best of the Hobart bowlers, taking 2-38 from his four overs, while Laughlin claimed 1-34.
In reply, the Hurricanes were on the back foot immediately when Hussey's off-spin claimed the scalp of Phil Jaques for a duck off the second ball of the innings with a mistimed pull to George Bailey.
Jaques' dismissal did not stop Birt from swinging the willow though, and the number three broke Wright's record – barely an hour-and-a-half old – for the fastest Big Bash 50 with some monstrous hitting.
In one over from Clint McKay the 30-year-old plundered 28 runs, cracking three successive deliveries for six, two of them from no-balls, to bring up his 50 from 22 balls.
McKay would have his revenge in the same over, however, with Birt out for 51 playing a short ball onto his stumps as he attempted a pull shot.
James Faulkner claimed Lockyear for 23 when he found Quiney at deep mid-wicket, and the paceman had Tom Triffitt (21) caught behind to have the Hurricanes on 4-138.
Matt Johnston (3 off 6) became Faulkner's third victim, and when the Tasmanian claimed the dangerous Owais Shah (55 off 37), the Hurricanes were always going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Faulkner finished with figures of 4-46 from his four overs, while leg-spin great Shane Warne and Hussey took two wickets apiece.
