Hobart Hurricanes 8 for 178 (David 58, Christian 3-36) beat Sydney Sixers 6 for 162 (Vince 67, Faulkner 2-22) by 16 runs
Half-centuries to Tim David and Colin Ingram and some outstanding pace bowling from Riley Meredith and James Faulkner helped the Hobart Hurricanes kick off BBL 10 with an outstanding win over the defending champions the Sydney Sixers at Bellerive Oval.
The Hurricanes utilised the new Power Surge rule to great effect rescuing their innings from 2 for 4 in the second over to post 9 for 178. The power of Ingram and David combined beautifully with the latter smashing his highest BBL score, including four boundaries in the first over of the power surge.
The Sixers looked in cruise control in the chase with James Vince at his vintage best producing 67 off 41 in a 116-run stand with Jack Edwards as they claimed the power boost point for the highest score at the 10-over mark of the chase. But that was the only competition point they got. Faulkner and Meredith used guile and extreme pace to strangle the Sixers as they fell 16 runs short.
X-factor no factor
The Hurricanes slumped to 2 for 4 after seven deliveries on a surface that offered a little bit of spin and grip for Ben Manenti to force Will Jacks to bunt a return catch while D'Arcy Short fell for a first-ball duck, edging Ben Dwarshuis to slip. Ingram and Peter Handscomb were forced to rebuild but fell further into the mire when Handscomb was stumped in the ninth over. With the score at just 3 for 72 after 10 overs, and only one inexperienced yet specialist batsman to come in David, this was exactly the scenario designed for the X-factor substitute to be used, with the possibility of subbing in an extra batsman in Caleb Jewell for one of the bowlers and backing Short, Jacks, and David to provide the four overs required by the fifth bowler. But the Hurricanes opted to back in their selected XI, as did the Sydney Sixers, and neither team made a change.
David turns Goliath in the Power Surge
The Hurricanes did use the Power Surge perfectly. Ingram played an excellent hand to counterattack and the scoreboard kept moving. He was particularly powerful inside-out over cover and over midwicket striking seven boundaries and a six. But he was denied a second by a staggering Superman-like one-handed save from Jordan Silk at deep midwicket. With Ingram set and David prepared to launch, the Hurricanes called the Surge in the 15th over and the Sixers wrongly gambled with Steve O'Keefe. David has an excellent record against spin in T20 internationals for Singapore and he smashed four boundaries in the over. Dan Christian pulled it back in the next over forcing a mishit from Ingram on his way to figures of 3 for 36. But David kept rolling smashing his first BBL half-century on debut for his new team. Nathan Ellis clubbed two sixes in five balls to help get the total to 178 after such a poor start.
Regal Vince
The Englishman picked up right where he left off from the last BBL where he was a key part of the Sixers' title. He walked out for the fifth ball of the innings after Josh Philippe was pinned plumb in front by Faulkner having survived a similar shout first ball. Vince accelerated immediately, facing just one dot ball in his first 18 deliveries, racing to 32. He struck eight boundaries and two sixes, each as elegant as the last. Even a top edge of the express pace of Meredith looked silky and intentional. He allowed Edwards to find his feet and Vince never felt pressured despite the lack of strike rotation at times. The Sixers cruised to the Power Boost point inside nine overs and then took the Power Surge in the 11th to try and break the back of the chase.
Bowlers bite back
The Power Surge yielded only 18 runs which seemed to force Vince to go harder. He was dropped by David and trapped in front by Faulker walking across the stumps to lap sweep. Handscomb turned to Meredith and his extra pace did for Edwards as he nudged 150kph. The Sixers may have made a tactical error not splitting Daniel Hughes and Jordan Silk with a power-hitter and paid a dear price. The pair scored just one boundary between them in 24 balls with both striking at less than a run-a-ball. It left Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite with too much to do as Meredith and Nathan Ellis closed out the game with some outstanding death bowling.
