The Perth Scorchers delivered a commanding performance to defeat the Hobart Hurricanes by 40 runs, thanks to a spectacular century from Mitchell Marsh and a brilliant all-round display from Aaron Hardie.
Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Hardie Shine in Record-Breaking Partnership
Scorchers captain Mitchell Marsh slammed his second Big Bash League century, scoring 102 off 58 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes. He partnered with Aaron Hardie for a staggering 164-run third-wicket stand—the highest in BBL history. Hardie remained unbeaten on 94 from just 43 balls, hitting five sixes in a destructive innings. Their efforts propelled Perth to a massive total of 229 for 3.
The Hurricanes faced an uphill battle from the start. Marsh made an immediate impact by sending the first ball of the innings onto the Ninja Stadium hill. Despite a couple of reprieves from Matthew Wade and Rehan Ahmed, Marsh maintained his composure and delivered a timely knock after a slow start to the season, where he had scored just 25 runs in his first four BBL games.
Hurricanes Struggle in Run Chase
Chasing 230, the Hurricanes lost wickets at regular intervals. Nikhil Chaudhary (31 from 15) and Matthew Wade (29 from 14) offered some resistance with explosive batting in the middle overs, but their efforts were not enough. Chaudhary was dismissed by Connor Connolly in the 13th over, followed by Wade shortly after being bowled off a no-ball.
On the bowling front, Ashton Agar was the pick of the Scorchers’ bowlers, taking 3 for 38. Hardie and Joel Paris contributed with two wickets each, while Riley Meredith endured a harsh outing, conceding 61 runs in his four overs. Chris Jordan and Josh Ellis also struggled, going for 41 and 44 runs respectively.
Perth Scorchers’ emphatic win not only broke the Hurricanes’ nine-match home winning streak but also pushed the Scorchers to third place in the BBL standings midway through the season.
