The Hobart Hurricanes improve their BBL record to 5-2, with record-breaking opener D'Arcy Short and Dan Christian starring
Match Report:
Scorecard'Cane Train extend winning run to five
The score: Hobart Hurricanes 4-166 (D’Arcy Short 59, Ben McDermott 32no; Joe Burns 1-10) defeated Brisbane Heat 8-165 (Brendon McCullum 51, Joe Burns 38; Jofra Archer 2-32) with 10 balls to spare
Match in a tweet: ‘Cane Train cruise to their fifth consecutive victory and D’Arcy Short breaks a record as they sweep aside the Heat with ease #BBL07
The hero: Is powerful Hobart Hurricanes left-hander D’Arcy Short the KFC Big Bash League player of the tournament? He strengthened his case again tonight, passing 50 for the fourth time from seven hits this season and eclipsing a five-year record for the most runs scored in a season of Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition (more on that below). Short finished with 59 from 49 balls, including eight boundaries. Short’s last five BBL innings read 97, 96, 42, 122 not out and 59, giving him 465 runs in BBL|07 at 77.50 to go with an incredible strike rate of 153.46. He can also bowl some handy left-arm spin – tonight he claimed the key wicket of Joe Burns – and has made a strong case for national selection for the coming T20 tri-series against England and New Zealand, which starts on February 3 – the day before the BBL final. Short’s consistency in the shortest format is seldom seen given it is demanded batsmen take more risks, making his efforts all the more meritorious.
The support cast: West Indian Jofra Archer continues to impress in his first season with the Hurricanes, with his haul of 2-32 giving him 11 wickets at 18.36 from seven matches this season. Archer has been a model of consistency, bowls at good pace and has only gone wicket-less once. Ben McDermott ensured his team left their home turf with the points, finishing 32 not out from 19 balls as the Hurricanes reached their target with 10 balls to spare.
The consolation effort: Heat skipper Brendon McCullum hammered his second half-century of the BBL season, striking 51 from 38 balls in an innings which featured five boundaries and a six. By his standards, McCullum started in circumspect fashion before he found the boundary more regularly. His stay ended, however, in the 14th over, when he was deceived by a Tymal Mills slower ball and caught by Hurricanes skipper George Bailey at extra cover.
The turning point: He only made 23, but player-of-the-match Dan Christian swung the match in Hobart’s favour by blasting three sixes in an action-packed nine ball knock. He put on 38 from 15 deliveries with Short, with the blitz putting the Heat on the back foot.
The run out: A direct hit from renowned deadeye fielder Bailey found Ben Cutting well short of his ground. This was a superb piece of fielding from one of Tasmania’s favourites…
The stat: Short passed Shaun Marsh’s record for the most runs in a BBL season early in the Hurricanes’ run chase. Entering the match on 406 runs for the tournament, the 27-year-old needed just seven to pass Marsh’s mark of 412 from BBL|02 and took four balls to achieve another record after posting the highest individual score in BBL history, a rapid-fire 122, against the Heat at the Gabba only five days earlier.
The plan: A fantastic insight from McCullum on the Channel 10 broadcast after describing and executing the Heat's plan to dismiss Christian live on air...
The silly point: It was apparently a bit chilly in Hobart tonight. It appears Joe Burns was definitely feeling it during the pre-match warm up…
SIX! Joe Burns has now recovered from the cold pre-match and he whacks Tymal Mills 69 metres, the @HeatBBL 1-31 from 3.5. LIVE: https://t.co/EoYKEZHAEd #BBL07 pic.twitter.com/TIsKyxLRvt%E2%80%94 KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2018
The streak: After a 0-2 start to BBL|07, the Hurricanes have won their past five matches and are a genuine contender for the ultimate prize. Unlike other clubs, they have not been affected by call-ups to Australia’s ODI side, however Short could figure in the T20 series, meaning he would likely be unavailable for the semi and final if the Hurricanes made it that far.
The fantasy wrap: Short ($122,600) got a massive 114 points, while Burns ($61,800) logged 93 and Christian ($53,770) 69.
The next stops: The Hurricanes will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches against the Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, while the Heat will meet the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Thursday.
A massive win for the @HurricanesBBL, who are surfing the D'Arcy Short wave to the BBL Finals - perhaps? #BBL07 pic.twitter.com/IVkBlsZv6H%E2%80%94 KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2018
Hobart Hurricanes XI: George Bailey (c), Alex Doolan, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade, Ben McDermott, Daniel Christian, Simon Milenko, Jofra Archer, Cameron Boyce, Clive Rose, Tymal Mills #BBL07%E2%80%94 KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2018
Brisbane Heat XI: Brendon McCullum (c), Sam Heazlett, Joe Burns, Alex Ross, Ben Cutting, Jimmy Peirson, Cameron Gannon, Mark Steketee, Brendan Doggett, Yasir Shah, Mitchell Swepson #BBL07%E2%80%94 KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2018