Bruce and Heaphy set up Central Districts' first win of GSL 2025

A 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket between captain Tom Bruce and Curtis Heaphy, and a strong bowling performance led by Ajaz Patel and Blair Tickner took Central Districts past Hobart Hurricanes. That earned Central Districts their first points in GSL 2025.

Having chosen to bat after losing their first and second matches in the competition having opting to field, Bruce got in after another poor start, with Central Districts losing Dane Cleaver and Will Young by the end of the powerplay, which came with 37 runs on the board.

It soon became 40 for 3 in the eighth over, bringing Bruce and Heaphy together. And they were unseparated for 12 overs, batting through to the middle of the last over of the innings and scoring quickly. Their 113-run stand came in 73 balls, with Bruce being the aggressor by contributing 61 in 35 balls, and Heaphy 50 in 38. When Bruce fell, to Odean Smith, Central Districts had 153 on the board, and Matthew Forde went 6, 6 and 2 off the last three balls to take them to 167.

The reply from Hobart Hurricanes was poor. They were two down in the powerplay, like Central Districts, and three down for 38 by the end of the eighth over. It got worse, as the wickets kept falling, and six batters were back in the dugout by the end of the 15th, with just 84 runs on the board. Ajaz had two of those six, and ended with figures of 4 for 18.

That Hobart Hurricanes put up a fight and got to within 16 runs of matching their opponents was down to Mohammad Nabi, and his 65-run stand with Fabian Allen for the seventh wicket. Nabi scored a 25-ball 43, and Allen an unbeaten 36 from 16 deliveries with five sixes.

The defeat meant all three of Hobart Hurricanes, Dubai Capitals and Central Districts are on two points from three games each. But Hobart Hurricanes are at No. 3 on the five-team table, followed by Dubai Capitals and Central Districts, who are at the bottom, based on their net run rates.