Chris Jordan stars as Hobart Hurricanes crush Sydney Sixers in BBL clash
Jackson Bird produced career-best figures but Chris Jordan was the man as the Hurricanes dominated the Sixers in the clash of the BBL heavyweights. WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS
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A career-best 4-16 from Jackson Bird was not enough to stop the Hobart Hurricanes from rising to a dominant 50-run win over the Sydney Sixers on New Year’s Day.
With skipper Nathan Ellis a late withdrawal due to illness, the Canes’ had a wide array of contributors to lift them to a third win on the trot.
Chris Jordan blasted a one-handed six in the final over to lift Hobart’s total to 6-161 before the English international took 3-22 with the ball to leave the Sixers well short in front of 8,049 fans at Ninja Stadium.
It is the first loss of the season for the Sixers who go to a 4-1 record.
Centurion from December 26 James Vince looked threatening after striking the biggest six of the game with a leg glance in the second over, but he fell soon after for 11.
The Sixers lost wicket too frequently to ever give themselves a resonable chance of completing the chase as each of Hobart’s six bowlers took a wicket.
Leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou was a late-in for Ellis and took 1-15 in his first game of the season.
Pace bowler Riley Meredith was most economical with 1-12 off three overs while Waqar Salamkheil and Billy Stanlake both took 2-22.
Earlier Mitch Owen struck 33 off 17 balls with the bat before Ben McDermott (34 off 25) and Nikhil Chaudhary (42 off 31) put on a brilliant 70-run fourth wicket stand, including 0-33 in the power surge to lift the Canes’ to a defendable total.
JACKSON BIRD’S BIG OVER
When the Hurricanes were cruising at 1-53 off six overs, pace bowler Bird stepped in to turn the momentum the Sixers’ way.
The 38-year-old took two wickets for three runs in the next over including key wickets of Matthew Wade and Shai Hope to make it 3-56 off seven.
“I have played a lot of cricket down here having 12 years with the Tigers so I love bowling down here,” Bird said on Fox Cricket during his side’s batting innings.
“It was nice to get some wickets when we needed it, they got off to a pretty good start so it was nice to claw it back and get a reasonable target to chase.”
MITCH OWEN GOES BIG
Mitch Owen looked like he was going to make it back-to-back centuries at Ninja Stadium after getting the Hurricanes off to a flying start.
The 23-year-old put on an opening partnership of 45 runs with Matthew Wade in which he contributed 35 towards.
But the opener skied a ball off pacer Hayden Kerr in the fifth over to fall for a quick-fire 33 off 17 balls.
Owen played a crucial knock, nonetheless, hitting a six on the fourth ball before consecutive boundaries in the third and fourth overs including three in a row against leading BBL14 wicket taker Ben Dwarshuis.
MATTHEW WADE TESTS CALF
There were some nervous signs early when Wade turned down a single in the first over letting Owen know he was “coming back from a calf” injury.
But the veteran wicketkeeper gave fans more comfort when he called his partner through for a single on the next ball that headed to short-fine leg.
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