Marsh, Hardie help Scorchers end Hurricanes' winning streak at home
Hurricanes had previously won nine straight games at home
AAP and ESPNcricinfo
01-Jan-2026 • 4 hrs ago
Mitchell Marsh hit 11 fours and five sixes in his 102 • Getty Images
Perth Scorchers 229 for 3 (Marsh 102, Hardie 94*, Ellis 2-44) beat Hobart Hurricanes 189 for 9 (Chaudhary 31, Agar 3-38, Hardie 2-27, Paris 2-36) by 40 runs
Mitchell Marsh blazed the second Big Bash League century of his career while Aaron Hardie delivered with bat and ball to help Perth Scorchers break Hobart Hurricanes' winning run on home turf.
Marsh, Australia's T20I captain, flexed his muscle to smash 102 off 58 balls, hours after the T20 World Cup squad was locked in. Marsh hit 11 fours and five sixes. He shared a 164-run partnership - the highest third-wicket stand in BBL history - with Hardie who also fired with a brutal unbeaten 94 from 43 balls with five sixes. The Scorchers posted 229 for 3 with the Hurricanes with the Hurricanes making 189 for 9 in reply.
The signs were ominous for defending champions Hurricanes early. After Scorchers were sent in, Marsh dispatched the first ball of the innings onto the Ninja Stadium hill. He was given some lives by Matthew Wade, who grassed a tough diving chance when Marsh was on 18 and couldn't glove a fast-flying edge off the spin of Rehan Ahmed when he was on 36. It was a timely knock for Marsh, who had only scored 25 across his first four BBL games.
"I've actually felt pretty good in the games I missed out in," Marsh told FoxSports. "The key thing for me is when you miss out a couple of times is to stick to your routines. I know what works, certainly in this format, for me to be mentally good to go. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous ... you always want to contribute and get going in a tournament."
Hardie went to town in the 12th over when he hit four boundaries and one six off Chris Jordan in an over that went for 26 runs. Hurricanes quick Riley Meredith copped the worst punishment, going for 0 for 61 off four overs while Jordan (0 for 41) and Ellis (2 for 44) didn't escape the damage.
Hurricanes lost wickets at regular intervals in the chase but Nikhil Chaudhary (31 from 15) and Wade (29 from 14) provided some fireworks at the halfway point. Chaudhary holed out off the spin of Connolly in the 13th over, before Wade fell shortly afterwards in similar fashion a few deliveries after being bowled off a no-ball.
Ashton Agar (3 for 38) finished with the best figures for the Scorchers, while Hardie and Joel Paris both picked up two scalps. The result ended the Hurricanes' run of nine wins on home turf and pushed Scorchers to third position on the table midway through their season.