Cane Train halted as Hobart eye redemption

After claiming their maiden Big Bash title in BBL|14, Hobart Hurricanes entered a new season believing they could be the third club to win back-to-back titles in the competition's history.

Coming into their last regular season fixture, Hobart were once again the team to beat. On top of the table, the reigning champions needed 25 off four overs with six wickets in hand against Brisbane Heat to secure a home Qualifer final.

What seemed an inevitable victory suddenly turned into a devastating defeat.

The Hurricanes not only lost top spot, but they slipped to third-place, with a defeat Cricket Tasmania's High Performance GM Salliann Beams said wounded the team.

"That game against the Heat hurt and hurt badly," Beams said.

"It was almost a moment in time that we kind of let old habits creep in. We're still working through why that happened... but we would have had a completely different finals route had we nailed that game."

Prior to this loss, Hobart had put together a campaign that had them in pole position to lift another Big Bash trophy. With six wins from eight completed matches, Beams said the side performed to their own expectations.

"We were very aware that there were certain expectations of us," Beams said.

"From day dot, it was about making sure we made finals. We performed brilliantly last year, but we also came off 13 BBL campaigns where we weren't always competitive. For us it was building that belief that we could win and we created that having won it, but the first and foremost job of this campaign was to make finals."

Although the club made the finals in a way they may not have imagined, hosting the Knockout final against Melbourne Stars, Hobart believed their best was good enough to claim the silverware. As Beams explained, it's a belief that came from the experience of their senior players and improved performances from new names that made their mark on the competition.

"Looking back on the campaign, I thought we were pretty good," Beams said.

"We had some hurdles along the way with injuries, but we backed up the style and the way we wanted to play. Certain individuals at different times put their hand up to contribute, and I feel that's off the back of that genuine team belief of knowing how to win. To be able to drive that, and achieve that, that takes years in my mind.

"We were able to build on our success last year and emulate that. It was so nice to see other players put their hand up, because it felt like we were winning, but we were also finding future talent at the same time."

Despite their optimism, an injury to their captain on the eve of the finals proved pivotal to Hobart's hopes of defending their title. Having already lost Tim David on Boxing Day with a hamstring injury, Nathan Ellis fell to the same issue that saw him miss the entire finals series.

Reflecting on the savage blow, Beams admitted the loss of Ellis had crucial consequences to her club's chances of winning back-to-back BBL titles.

"It was massive for us," Beams said. "Not only because he's our main bowler that bowls in every phase that we need him to and loves those pressure moments, but he is our leader.

"We've been building this campaign for a number of years where we've been supporting Nathan's leadership as well. He's in that groove now. He's well-respected by all the players and he's tactically one of the best captains I've seen.

"The biggest thing that goes unnoticed is all the work that he does off the field to make sure this environment is working, it's enjoyable and it's a great experience. He does all the things that you would expect a captain to do."

Having survived the Knockout in a thrilling rain-affected last-ball triumph against the Stars, the Hurricanes were humbled by the Sydney Sixers at the SCG in the Challenger final. The defeat ended Hobart's season as the club fell agonisingly short of another BBL final.

It was this game that once again demonstrated to Beams and the club just how influential their injured skipper is to their success in the competition. 

"If you look at the game against the Sixers, you're having to have a new captain and I think you could see the differences there from not having Nathan," Beams said.

"That's a learning for us going forward to make sure that we've got the next group up to his standard... but I was so proud of how the coaching team and the players cracked on knowing that we'd lost a big piece of the puzzle."

While BBL|15 was a missed opportunity for Hobart, all is not lost for the team from the Apple Isle. Having re-signed many of their high-profile players, including seven from their BBL|14 championship-winning team and two Australian Test squad members, Beams believes the club are well and truly set up to contend again in BBL|16. 

"We've kept all our players together and we've got our spine," Beams said.

"People talk about having a spine in elite teams... our spine play the key roles in each of the phases, and they have got an incredible amount of trust in each other. They work together as a team and they collaborate on and off the pitch, and I think that's what makes our team so competitive."

In this sixth BBL|15 season review on cricket.com.au, Beams helps us breakdown the Hobart Hurricanes' season through the key talking points that defined their summer, before giving us an insight into the future of the club. 

Hobart Hurricanes: BBL|15 snapshot

BBL|15 result: Third (7 wins, 4 losses, 1 no result), lost Challenger to Sixers by 57 runs

 

Most runs: Ben McDermott (322 at 32.20)

 

Best strike rate (min. 50 runs): Mitch Owen (195.29)

 

Most wickets: Rishad Hossain (15 at 20.86)

 

Best economy (min. 10 overs): Rishad Hossain (7.82)

 

Contracted for BBL|16: Nikhil Chaudhary (BBL|17), Tim David (BBL|16), Nathan Ellis (BBL|17), Ben McDermott (BBL|17), Riley Meredith (BBL|17), Mitch Owen (BBL|17), Billy Stanlake (BBL|16), Matthew Wade (BBL|16), Jake Weatherald (BBL|16), Beau Webster (BBL|17) 

 

Uncontracted: Rehan Ahmed (England), Marcus Bean, Jackson Bird, Hugo Burdon, Iain Carlisle, Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Chris Jordan (England), Will Prestwidge, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Mac Wright

Rishad Hossain's dream debut season

The Hurricanes finally got their man Rishad Hossain on the field in BBL|15, and didn't the Bangladesh spinner deliver for Hobart in his debut Big Bash season. 

Playing all 12 Hurricanes matches, Hossain was the club's highest wicket-taker (15) for the season in an outstanding campaign that saw him make many new fans across the country.

The 23-year-old was first selected at pick 28 in the BBL|14 Draft by the Hurricanes, but he was forced to withdraw from the competition due to scheduling commitments with the Bangladesh Premier League. With pick 13 in the BBL|15 Draft, Hossain was once again picked up by Hobart who were delighted to see their international recruit perform so well this season.

"He's class, isn't he?", said Beams.

"He can beat both edges and I think that's what was so threatening for him... not many people have played against him. He kind of had everything, but you've still got to put the ball in the right spot. As an overseas player, not many people have been able to come in as an overseas player and perform so well. There's a lot of pressure on that role and to be our number one spin bowler, but he did everything we needed of him."

Elated with his numbers throughout the competition, Beams admitted the focus has now turned to figuring out whether the Hurricanes can secure the leg-spinner for next season.

"For us, we just hope that we can get him back," Beams said.

"There's still things we have to work through with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and whether the Bangladesh Premier League is going ahead. There's all these things, but I just think he was great for the competition and great all around really. You want our best players learning to play against those type of bowlers from a national point of view too."

Ellis stands tall with the ball

Despite not featuring in the finals series, Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis put together another strong campaign showcasing his status as one of Australia's best white-ball bowlers.

In the nine matches he played, Ellis took 14 wickets including 3-30 in a player of the match performance against Melbourne Renegades.

Seeing the development of the club's captain across the past few years, Beams was full of praise for Ellis' commitment to the organisation.

"His work ethic is incredible," Beams said.

"The best thing about Nathan is that he's unpredictable. He's consistently working at ways how to involve evolve his bowling. He's not a one-trick pony. He's looking at being unpredictable, so the batters can't read him.

"When people believe in themselves, they tend to execute. It's not rocket science in that department, and it's just kind of all been perfect timing for us and him.

"He's so passionate about making sure we get the outcome. He's so good in the (Power) Surge and he's so good at the death. He backs his ability to hit wide line. It's just phenomenal, really. I really appreciate him as a leader."

Losing Tim David

While the Hurricanes claimed an impressive away victory against eventual champions Perth Scorchers on Boxing Day, the two points came at a cost. It was on this day that Tim David limped off the field with a hamstring injury that ended his Big Bash season.

The Australian T20 international player, who made 254 runs at strike rate of 177.62 in the season prior, was finding his groove on 42* before the injury when he was running between the wickets at Optus Stadium.

Although Beams knew this setback would be a challenge, the players were confident they could overcome losing a player of David's calibre.

"I felt that we had the belief in the team to still be competitive to make finals," Beams said.

"I felt that once you got to finals, that level of experience that Tim has and that belief in himself, that could be the difference between winning the final or not because he's just been there so many times.

"If you're behind the eight-ball, he would know how to work through that process to get us back in a good position. That's the difference when you're playing finals, it's those people with experience that can guide through that."

Outside of his experience, the Hurricanes lost arguably the league's greatest Power Surge batter when David was ruled out of tournament. Having made 114 runs at a strike rate of 285 in the Surge during BBL|14, Beams revealed that without David in the side, the team saw inconsistencies throughout this vital two-over period in every batting innings.

"I was a little bit concened about the Power Surge when we batted," Beams said.

"He's the first to put his hand up after the 10th over. His numbers in a Surge are incredible... so we probably didn't have the confidence to take it as much without him. I probably saw a little bit of inconsistency with that."

Ben McDermott steps up

With 322 runs throughout the competition, Ben McDermott was the Hurricanes' leading run-scorer in BBL|15. The 31-year-old passed fifty on two ocassions against Melbourne Stars (69) and Brisbane Heat (59), but the 115-game Big Bash veteran didn't just step up with the bat.

Named as the club's captain in Ellis' absence, Beams recognised the leadership responsibilities McDermott took on during a difficult period of the club's BBL|15 season.

"He is our vice-captain, so we see genuine leadership qualities in Ben," Beams said.

"I think the difference is when you're in finals is the emotions and the pressure of the moment. Being able to make quick decisions when you're under the pump and looking at how you regain momentum or maintain momentum. They're the things that take practice."

Filling a gap the club identified in their middle order, Beams admired McDermott for his consistent performances at a tricky position in the lineup.

"We recognised last campaign that we didn't want overseas players playing the role of middle-order," Beams said.

"The expectation is high anyway and it's the hardest role. His numbers against spin are brilliant and the best in the team... he's gone from strength to strength in that and he knows how to change the tempo and how to absorb pressure.

"He's a great guy as well and I just think he's really grown in this space. What's really pleasing now is the kind of the attention he's got from franchises around the world and different competitions. They understand that the middle-order batter, who can also bat the top of the order is really crucial. He's very adaptable, so I'm really pleased for him."

Mitch Owen's form

Coming off a breakout summer that saw him shock the cricket world with a magnificent 108 off 42 balls in the BBL|14 final, Mitch Owen struggled to find form in a frustrating season for the Hurricanes opener.

Having made his Australia T20I debut in July off the back of his 2024-25 season, Owen made just 166 runs at an average of 15.09.

While his strike rate was a superb 195.29, Owen just couldn't face enough balls in BBL|15 (85 across 11 innings) to make a meaningful impact for his side.

Now a familiar face in Australian cricket, Beams believes Owen will come back stronger after the experiences he had in BBL|15.

"He's more focused than ever to take up the challenge and continue to be our opening batter for hopefully the next 10 years," Beams said.

"We didn't see those big scores that we did last year, but we did see innings that allowed us to go from potentially 150 to 180.

"I felt he did a role for us. He could have gone longer, but he always gives us the best chance with our lineup to either chase a big score or set up a big score. I think the difference for him now is after that championship year with Hurricanes, he went and played everywhere and anywhere in white-ball stuff. In that time, people are finding out what his strengths and weaknesses are. They're probably a little bit more clued up on how to bowl to him.

"Mitch has now got to work out where he can obviously evolve his game and combat those areas. I think that's just normal... he's certainly an asset."

Beau Webster's return

Beau Webster may have played just the five matches on his return to the Hobart Hurricanes in BBL|15, but the team from Tasmania still saw just how valuable he can be in the competition.

Webster's 47 off 26 balls in the Knockout final proved vital for his team in their thrilling victory against the Stars. Averaging 37.25 across his Big Bash stint, Beams was complimentary of Webster's ability to perform after helping Australia claim victory in the NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes series.

"He played some incredible innings," Beams said.

"That's just belief in his ability. His preparation going into those last five games were all red ball. He'd hardly played any cricket, to be honest, apart from that last Test series. He would have felt the pressure. He would have been really nervous back in his home colours as well.

"He's a class act and really important for us moving forward. We knew that his availability was was probably going to be in doubt, but any chance he could play, I knew that he was going to be straight on that plane."

Squad moves and eyes on BBL|16

The Hobart Hurricanes are eyeing BBL|16 with their sights set on contending for another Big Bash trophy.

Out of the ten players the club has currently acquired for BBL|16, seven of them played in the club's BBL|14 final victory.

In addition to those men, Australia's latest Test debutant Jake Weatherald and Test allrounder Webster are on the club's roster for next season, despite questions over their avaliability with Australia's Test schedule to include a five-Test tour of India starting in January next year. 

With many high-profile names committing to the club, Beams said she has a good feeling about the core group that's been built over a period of time in Hobart.

"We did all that work last year, which was hard work because it all didn't fit into place," Beams said.

"People had to compromise, but because they love playing for this team and love playing with each other, we worked through that process. Therefore that recruitment piece was fairly straightforward this year. We only have to think about now what we're doing from an overseas point of view."

After signing a two-year deal with the Hurricanes in 2024, England international Chris Jordan is currently out of contract ahead of a new season. The 65-game Big Bash player, who has played at five clubs, is still firmly in Hobart's plans for BBL|16.

"We've certainly reached out to him to let him know that we are interested," Beams said.

"It's just working out an agreement that's better for both parties now, especially for someone that plays such a key role physically as an allrounder. He's kind of on the back-end of his career as well, although I say that sensitively because he's a quality player. His bowling again was outstanding this year."

Outside of the internationals, Beams revealed the club is eager to re-sign Tim Ward. The 28-year-old left-handed opener made 200 runs for the Hurricanes in BBL|15, making him the club's third-highest run-scorer for the summer.

With their core group confirmed, the Hurricanes are shaping up for another title tilt next season. Knowing the team were just one victory away from returning to a BBL final, Beams said the club feel confident that they're well-placed to compete for another title in BBL|16.

"They're only going to get better," Beams said.

"They want to stick together... because we really believe in the core that we've got. The team's got a lot of life in their legs, so it's a good feel about that group."