Match overview

Hobart Hurricanes beat Melbourne Renegades by 7 wickets at GMHBA Stadium in South Geelong on 21 December 2025. The Hurricanes won the toss, chose to field, and Chris Jordan delivered immediately, taking 4/19 from 4 overs to restrict Melbourne to 145/9. Nikhil Chaudhary then struck 79 from 38 balls as Hobart knocked off the target with runs to spare. The middle overs of the chase, which produced 98 runs for 1 wicket, settled the contest well before the death phase was needed. It was a polished all-round performance from Hobart, and it extended their head-to-head lead over Melbourne Renegades to 14 wins from 23 BBL meetings.

Melbourne's innings had started promisingly. They reached 49 runs for 1 wicket in the powerplay, a return well above GMHBA Stadium's average powerplay figure of 40 runs across 15 BBL matches. From there, the innings unravelled. Four wickets fell in the middle overs for 52 runs, and four more went in the death for 44. Jordan's role in that collapse was central: his 4/19 was the standout bowling return of the night and rightly earned him the Player of the Match award.

Hobart's reply was almost entirely stress-free. The Hurricanes lost 2 powerplay wickets for 51 runs, fractionally above the venue average, but Chaudhary's innings removed any remaining tension. The Hurricanes did not need their death overs at all, finishing on 149/3 well inside 20 overs.

Venue and conditions

GMHBA Stadium has hosted 15 BBL matches, and the scoring patterns here are well established. The average first-innings score is 137, which means Melbourne's 145/9 was slightly above par. The average second-innings score of 127 is lower, suggesting that while chasing is possible, it is rarely as easy as Hobart made it look on Sunday evening. Teams win the toss and choose to field here 45 per cent of the time; the overall chase success rate sits at exactly 50 per cent, so neither decision offers a definitive edge.

The powerplay tends to set the tone. The venue average of 40 powerplay runs is modest for a T20 surface, and both innings on this occasion exceeded that figure: 49 for Melbourne, 51 for Hobart. The death-overs average at the ground is 33 runs, though Melbourne managed 44 in theirs. The ground rewards bowlers who can exploit any assistance early and get among the wickets in the middle phase, which is precisely what Jordan did.

How to watch

The Big Bash League is available to UK viewers via BT Sport and streamed through the BT Sport app. Selected fixtures also air on Sky Sports. Given that matches are played in Australian evenings, UK fans are typically watching from around midnight to the early morning hours. Checking your provider's schedule in advance is advisable, as exact broadcast allocations vary across the season.

BBC Radio's Test Match Special does not routinely cover BBL fixtures, so digital streaming is the primary route for most UK fans. The BBL official website and Cricket Australia's platforms also provide some free-to-view digital content depending on your location.

Recent form

Melbourne Renegades went into this match having won two and lost two from their last four completed games in the 2025 BBL season, with victories against Brisbane Heat and a loss against Melbourne Stars preceding this fixture. Their recent record suggests a side capable of beating lower-ranked opposition but struggling against the competition's stronger teams. A defeat to Hobart earlier in 2025 is also on their ledger, so this result fits a pattern.

Hobart Hurricanes arrived in mixed form themselves. Their 2025 campaign has included wins over Sydney Thunder (twice) and Sydney Sixers, offset by defeats to Melbourne Stars. The Stars appear to be the one side giving Hobart consistent problems, but against Renegades specifically, the Hurricanes' record is strong. Four wins from the last five head-to-head meetings, including this one, reflect a real structural advantage Hobart hold over Melbourne in this fixture. Their next assignments will be worth watching as both sides seek to consolidate their BBL positions heading deeper into the season.