January 11, 2025

David’s Unbeaten 68* Steals the Spotlight from Warner’s 88* in Hurricanes’ Victory

David Warner’s valiant knock of an unbeaten 88 off 66 balls proved to be in vain as the Hobart Hurricanes cruised to a commanding 6-wicket win over the Sydney Thunder. Warner’s efforts anchored the Thunder’s innings, but the total of 164/6 ultimately fell short against the Hurricanes’ powerful batting lineup. The victory marked the Hurricanes’ fifth win of the season and helped them establish a two-point lead at the top of the points table. Tim David emerged as the standout performer in the chase, smashing an unbeaten 68 off just 38 deliveries. His blistering innings included a flurry of boundaries and sixes that dismantled the Thunder’s bowling attack. With 19 balls to spare, the Hurricanes comfortably overhauled the target, showcasing their batting depth and reaffirming their dominance in the tournament.

The Hurricanes made a brisk start to their chase. After being dropped off the second ball of the innings, Mitchell Owen hammered Mohammad Hasnain for a boundary and a six. Matthew Wade followed suit, attacking George Garton with a couple of sixes in the next over. Despite the early breakthroughs that saw both openers depart quickly, Charlie Wakim and Nikhil Chaudhary briefly steadied the innings. However, Tom Andrews dismissed Wakim at the start of the seventh over, giving Thunder a glimmer of hope. From there, though, the Thunder struggled to maintain any real momentum.

David took a little time to settle in but quickly found his rhythm, showcasing his trademark power-hitting abilities. He ignited his innings with a boundary and a six off Dan Christian to close the 10th over, signaling his intent to take control of the chase. Even after Nikhil Chaudhary was dismissed by George Garton a couple of overs later, David ensured that the Thunder couldn’t wrest back any momentum. Displaying remarkable composure, he dispatched Wes Agar for two boundaries and a six in a single over, putting the pressure squarely back on the bowlers. He then turned his attention to Mohammad Hasnain, smashing an incredible 21 runs off a single over, leaving no room for recovery. Fittingly, David sealed the Hurricanes’ victory in style, launching a towering six off Agar over deep mid-wicket, his second six of that over, capping off a thrilling and commanding performance.

Earlier, David Warner was the sole anchor for Thunder’s innings, guiding them with a steady hand. While the Hobart Hurricanes kept picking wickets regularly, Thunder’s batters struggled to build any significant partnerships. Warner himself had a slow start, ticking along at a run-a-ball for the first 20 deliveries he faced before finding his groove, cracking a boundary through cover off Peter Hatzoglou. In fact, Warner only managed to score 52 runs off his first 48 deliveries, finding it difficult to counter the slower balls and length deliveries.

Sam Billings was the only Thunder batter to show any significant resistance, standing out with an aggressive approach as he smashed four boundaries during his quick-fire knock of 28 runs off just 15 balls. His efforts provided a brief glimmer of hope for the team amidst a lackluster batting display. Meanwhile, David Warner, who initially took time to settle, found his rhythm in the latter stages of the innings. Capitalizing on the death overs, Warner shifted gears and added some much-needed runs to the total, targeting bowlers Chris Jordan and Nathan Ellis with well-timed shots. His late surge gave the Thunder a fighting chance and injected some momentum into an otherwise underwhelming innings.

Brief Scores:
Sydney Thunder: 164/6 in 20 overs (David Warner 88*, Sam Billings 28; Riley Meredith 2-30)
Hobart Hurricanes: 165/4 in 16.5 overs (Tim David 68*, Nikhil Chaudhary 29; George Garton 2-31)

Result: Hurricanes won by 6 wickets.

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