This total would have put a lot of strain on the Hurricanes, who had previously suffered heartbreak in the tournament, but Mitchell Owen, a young Australian batsman, saved the day with an amazing century at the top.
On Monday, January 27, the Hobart Hurricanes won the 2024–25 Big Bash League, making it a momentous day in league history.
The Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder faced off in the championship game. The Hurricanes were seeking their first BBL championship and had last advanced to the finals in 2018, losing to the Adelaide Strikers, while the Thunder were vying for their second championship. At the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, where the game was played, the Hurricanes also won the toss and decided to bowl.
However, the spells of Nathan Ellis (3/23) and Riley Meredith (3/27) caused some problems for the former 2015–16 champions, but thanks to some helpful cameos from Oliver Davies and Sam Billings, the Sydney Thunder, led by David Warner and opener Jason Sangha, looked good in the beginning. The team still put up a formidable total of 182 on the board, which was still a difficult target to chase in the Hurricanes’ finals.
During his devastating innings of 108 off 42 deliveries, which featured six fours and eleven sixes, Owen was hitting at a rate of 257.14. With the help of this century and the fast-paced cameos of Ben McDermott and Matthew Wade, the Hurricanes won their first BBL title after chasing down the score in 14.1 overs.
Mitchell Owen was at a loss for words.
Mitchell Owen’s devastating top-order hitting was the reason this was a historic moment for the Hobart Hurricanes. With 452 runs at an average of 45.20 and a strike rate of 203.60 in 11 games, Owen not only won player of the match but also emerged as the tournament’s top run scorer.
Awe-inspiring, somewhat speechless. I’m incredibly appreciative of the supporters; you’ve been amazing and boisterous, and you got us cheering. When Owen accepted his Player of the Match award, he remarked, “I tried to do what I did all season – get us off to a good start and take it leisurely up through the middle, and it worked out.” “The first three or fours felt like a long time ago, to be honest.
For the 23-year-old hitter, who reached his century in just 39 deliveries—tying Craig Simmons, who did the same against the Perth Scorchers in 2014—the final knock will also be forever remembered.