Mitchell Owen ton powers Hobart Hurricanes to maiden BBL title

Powered by Mitchell Owen's 42-ball 108, Hobart Hurricanes won their maiden Big Bash League title with a thumping 7-wicket win over Sydney Thunder in the final at the Bellerive Oval on Monday. Chasing 183 for victory, Hurricanes overhauled the total with 35 balls to spare.

Put in to bat, Thunder made a strong start with the in-form David Warner adding a 97-run opening stand in the company of Jason Sangha. The duo played out the first half of Thunder's innings an laid a solid platform for a late assault. After playing out a quiet first over, Warner cracked three boundaries off Cameron Gannon in the second to help gain some momentum. Sangha took the attack to Riley Meredith in the hitting, taking a boundary and a six off the pacer.

Nathan Ellis struck twice in two balls in the 11th over to seize the momentum in favour of Thunder. However, brief cameos by Sam Billings, Chris Green and Oliver Davies helped them to a healthy total even if they didn't get the acceleration they would've hoped for in the death overs.

However, that total proved too little in the end, and Owen ensured Thunder realised that quite early in the chase. After Nathan McAndrew conceded five byes, and an inswing toe-crusher escaped the batter and ran away for a boundary to get the innings started, Owens cracked the last three balls of the opening over for a six followed by two more fours. He meted out a similar treatment to Tom Andrews in the next over and worse to Wes Agar in the third, sending three shots over the ropes and one for a boundary.

Caleb Jewell was dropped on five, but that was to make little difference as the assault continued from the other end. Owen slapped a boundary off McAndrew in the fourth over to bring up his half-century in only 16 deliveries - the fastest in BBL history. By the Jewell departed on a 12-ball 13 early in the eighth over, Owen had already raced away to 85, and the team's total had crossed the 100-run mark.

Owen brought up his century in only 39 balls two overs later, and then immediately slogswept Jason Sangha for another six. By the time he departed, in the 11th over, the contest was truly done and dusted. If there was any hope of Thunder making a comeback, it was nipped in the bud by Matthew Wade, who blazed away to a 17-ball 32. Ben McDermott scooped McAndrew over short fine leg for a boundary to bring up the winning runs.

Brief Scores: Sydney Thunder 182/7 in 20 overs (Jason Sangha 67, David Warner 48; Nathan Ellis 3-23, Riley Meredith 3-27) lost to Hobart Hurricanes 185/3 in 14.1 overs (Mitchell Owen 108, Matthew Wade 32*) by 7 wickets