Match overview

Perth Scorchers beat Hobart Hurricanes by 40 runs at Bellerive Oval on 1 January 2026 in a Big Bash League T20. Batting first after Hobart won the toss and chose to field, the Scorchers posted 229/3, a total that proved well beyond the Hurricanes, who finished on 189/9. MR Marsh was named Player of the Match. The result moves Perth ahead in a rivalry where they have now won 14 of 22 BBL meetings, and it came at a venue that had been kinder to Hobart in recent years, including an 8-wicket Hurricanes win here in 2024.

The Scorchers' innings was built on a dominant middle phase. After a decent powerplay of 57 runs for 2 wickets, the Scorchers lost no wickets at all in overs seven through fifteen, scoring 112 runs in that stretch. It was the kind of period that makes a total feel unassailable. The death brought 60 more runs for 1 wicket, leaving Hobart needing 230 from their twenty overs.

Hobart's reply never got close. They managed 43 runs in the powerplay for 2 wickets, immediately putting the asking rate under pressure. The middle overs yielded 106 runs but cost 4 wickets, and by the time the death arrived, the chase was beyond reach. A total of 40 runs in the final phase for 3 wickets confirmed it.

Venue and conditions

Bellerive Oval has hosted 112 T20 matches, producing an average first-innings score of 194 and an average second-innings score of 171. Perth's 229/3 was 35 runs above the first-innings average, which put Hobart in historically difficult territory: chasing sides at this venue succeed only 44% of the time. The pitch rewards batting in the first innings, particularly through the middle overs, and the Scorchers exploited that fully.

The venue's average powerplay yield is 42 runs, meaning both sides came in broadly around that figure. Hobart's 43 from the powerplay was not a disaster in isolation. The problem was the total they were chasing. An average powerplay at this ground against a 230 target puts the required rate into a range most T20 sides find unmanageable, and once the first two wickets fell in those opening six overs, the margin for error was gone.

Toss-winners at Bellerive opt to field 54% of the time, and Hobart followed that pattern here. The logic is sound: evening dew can assist batting second and the ground's dimensions encourage stroke play under lights. On this occasion, however, Perth's batters took full advantage of the batting conditions in the first innings before the dew became a factor.

How to watch

BBL matches are available in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming via Sky Go and the NOW TV platform. Given the time difference between the UK and Tasmania, a match starting at an Australian evening time will typically broadcast in the early hours of the UK morning. Check the Sky Sports schedule for the specific UK kickoff time for each fixture.

Recent form

Perth Scorchers arrived at this fixture in mixed form, winning three of their last five BBL outings in 2025: victories over Sydney Thunder, Sydney Sixers, and Adelaide Strikers, against defeats to Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat. The loss to Hobart in particular will have sharpened focus for this rematch.

Hobart Hurricanes had looked the more consistent side in the lead-up, winning four of their last five matches in 2025, including wins over Melbourne Renegades (twice), Perth Scorchers, and Sydney Thunder. Their only slip was a defeat to Melbourne Stars. That recent run of form made the Hurricanes difficult to write off, but Perth's batting depth on the night proved the decisive factor. Both sides now move forward in the BBL season with a clearer sense of where the gaps in their squads lie.