David secures Hurricanes’ victory, but sustains hamstring injury
Hobart Hurricanes 153 for 6 (David 42, Chaudhary 34, Connolly 3-23) overcame Perth Scorchers 150 for 8 (Allen 43, Rishad 3-33) by four wickets. Scorchers squandered a promising start, managing to score 150 for 8 in Friday evening’s game, with Finn Allen (43 from 23 deliveries), Nick Hobson (29 off 23), and Laurie Evans (27 off 18) as the primary scorers. In response, the Hurricanes struggled initially, finding themselves at 39 for 3 after a fiery spell from Cooper Connolly (3-23), before David (42 off 28 balls) and Nikhil Chaudhary (34 off 30) rallied Hobart back into a favorable position. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, David strained his hamstring while attempting a single in the 15th over, leading him to retire hurt with the score at 103 for 4. Mac Wright (22* off 13) and Chris Jordan (15 off 11 balls) rose to the occasion, steering the Hurricanes to victory with three balls remaining. The Hurricanes required 14 runs for the win with eight balls in hand, and Wright—filling in for the injured Matthew Wade—hit Aaron Hardie (0 for 42 in three overs) for a six and a four in consecutive deliveries to alleviate the pressure. The Hurricanes now stand at 3-1, but David’s injury poses a significant challenge to their title defense aspirations. With the BBL final scheduled for January 25, David faces a tight timeline to recover this season. The Scorchers approached the match eager to redeem themselves after an unexpected defeat to Brisbane Heat, where they failed to defend 257. Allen ensured a brisk beginning, yet when he was dismissed at the boundary, leaving the Scorchers at 73 for 3 in the ninth over, it marked the decline of their aggressive approach. Riley Meredith (2 for 19) was Hobart’s most economical bowler, claiming the pivotal wicket of star opener Mitchell Marsh (16 off 13). Spinner Rishad Hossain (3 for 33) proved to be the most effective, taking out three key players: Connolly, Hardie, and Evans. The Scorchers needed to strike early, and Connolly was tasked with the opening bowl. Connolly’s first ball was sent sailing for six by Mitch Owen, but he was dismissed on the following delivery when he offered a simple catch to point. Joel Paris sent Tim Ward back for just four runs, and Connolly soon trapped Ben McDermott plum lbw following a failed reverse sweep, leaving the Hurricanes in dire straits at 39 for 3 by the eighth over. David was on 26 when an indecision between Evans and Ashton Turner in the field caused Evans to misjudge a skied ball, which fell just outside of his reach. Later, at 37, David appeared on course to be caught by Evans, but Evans fumbled just moments before Turner tripped over him. The hamstring injury curtailed David’s evening, but the team managed to have sufficient strength to achieve the win.
Published: 2025-12-26 14:32:00
source: www.espncricinfo.com
