How sensational was the Hobart Hurricanes’ win in the final of the Big Bash League (BBL) earlier this week at Hobart’s Ninja Stadium?  The Hurricanes demolished the Sydney Thunder’s respectable (but not enough) 7/183 off twenty overs with a blistering 3/185 in only 14.1 overs (at an amazing rate of 13 runs an over).

It was widely expected that the chase of 184 would prove challenging but the next chapter of Australian cricket is now already underway.

Talk of the cricket world is the Hurricanes’ 23-year-old opener and Hobart-born Mitch Owen who blasted an incredible 108 from just 42 balls, including 11 sixes and 6 fours, thrilling the home crowd.  His century was the equal fastest in BBL cricket, reached in 39 balls.

Owen now shares the all-time fastest BBL century record with Craig Simmons who originally set the 39-ball mark in 2014 playing for Perth Scorchers.  At 11 years, this is one of the longest standing BBL records of all time.

What powerful hitting? The Author has never seen Hurricanes’ fans go so wild with excitement at every Hurricanes’ six or four, demonstrating an appetite for the game in Tasmania that is getting stronger every season.

The Hurricanes’ win was their first BBL championship in the competition’s 14 years.  It was fitting that their stalwarts Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott were batting at the end unbeaten.  They have played for the Hurricanes for eight and nine seasons respectively.

This win will be a huge boost for Tasmanian cricket, the BBL and Australian cricket.

The quality of cricket played in this season’s BBL was outstanding. The batting was more inventive and audacious, and the fielding more athletic and desperate, than the season prior. The bowling may not have improved as much as the batting judging by some of batting domination.

As a result of his knock in the final, Owen finished the season as the tournament’s top runscorer with 452, at a strike rate of 203.60.  Opposition captain David Warner of the Sydney Thunder was next on the list with 405 runs, the only other player to top 400 for the season.

Many games this season have been enthralling affairs with some decided in the final or near final of the twenty overs of the side batting second.  It has been riveting live and media entertainment and the decision to shorten the schedule to focus on key matchups has clearly paid off for Cricket Australia.