Ellis and Rishad shine with the ball as Hobart Hurricanes chase down 164 in Hobart to extend strong BBL form

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Matthew Wade produced a calm and clinical finishing act as the Hobart Hurricanes defeated the Melbourne Renegades for the second time in eight days, continuing their impressive run in the Big Bash League. Chasing a target of 164 in Hobart, the Hurricanes got home with one over to spare and four wickets in hand.

On a night marked by promising but unfinished innings, Wade stood out with an unbeaten 43 off just 20 balls. The Hurricanes veteran showed his experience under pressure, striking a six and a four off consecutive deliveries to close out the chase. No other Hurricanes batter managed to cross 30, but Wade’s composure proved decisive.

The Renegades briefly had the upper hand thanks to tight bowling spells from Adam Zampa (3 for 25), Hassan Khan (1 for 11) and Andrew Tye (1 for 29). Zampa removed Tim Ward and Ben McDermott in the same over to reduce the Hurricanes to 59 for 3, putting the hosts under pressure early in the middle overs.

However, Wade rebuilt alongside Rehan Ahmed, whose 23 helped steady the innings. Their 38-run partnership brought the Hurricanes back into contention. After Rehan’s dismissal, Wade took charge, smashing three sixes and a four from the final eight balls to ensure a smooth finish.

Earlier, Hurricanes bowlers laid the foundation for the win by restricting the Renegades to 162 for 9. Nathan Ellis was the standout with 3 for 30, while Bangladesh legspinner Rishad Hossain chipped in with 2 for 34 to halt the visitors’ momentum.

The Renegades began aggressively, with Josh Brown (26 off 13) and Tim Seifert (26 off 14) racing out of the blocks. Brown smashed 16 off the opening over before falling to a clever slower ball from Ellis. Mohammad Rizwan (16 off 12) briefly kept the tempo high, but regular wickets prevented the Renegades from launching fully.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (14 off 8) and Oliver Peake (29 off 22) also showed promise but failed to convert their starts into bigger scores. As a result, the Renegades were forced to grind through the latter stages of the innings.

The win lifts the Hurricanes to a 4-1 record this BBL season, strengthening their position on the ladder, while the Renegades, now 1-2, remain stuck at the bottom after another missed opportunity.