Warner special nullified as Hobart Hurricanes go top

David Warner turned back the clock with his second Big Bash League century - 14 years since slamming his first. The Sydney Thunder opener finished with an unbeaten 130 off 65 - a knock including 11 fours and 9 sixes. This stunning effort included three sixes and two fours off Nathan Ellis in a 30-run 20th over that powered Thunder to 205/4. But all of this vintage batting couldn't lift Thunder from the bottom of the points table as Hobart Hurricanes chased it down with six wickets and 2.1 overs to spare and go top of the table. Hurricanes' win was built on opener Tim Ward's efforts, who smashed a 49-ball 90.

Warner's triple-figure scores in the BBL came 5131 days apart, but the occasion was expertly sullied by the whirlwind opener stand for Hurricanes. Ward took the first step forward in the PowerPlay, smashing three fours of Tom Andrews in the opening over and following it up with two four and a six off Nathan McAndrew in the second. Owen joined in on the carnage against Wes Agar in the third over and then carted sixes off Shadab Khan and Chris Green. Through this fiery start, the Hurricanes raced away to 74/0 in the PowerPlay.

In the seventh over, Ward got to a 29-ball half-century with a six off Shadab while Owen continued to tonk it big. By the time Sams broke the stand in the ninth over, dismissing Owen for an 18-ball 45, Hurricanes had already scored more than half the target ahead of them. Rehan Ahmed walked out swinging at No.3, carting Sams for a six in the same over as the dismissal. At the halfway stage, Hurricanes had 121/1.

Agar dismissed Rehan in the 13th over even as Ward carried on pushing his team towards the target. Sams ruffled a few feathers in a double-wicket over in the 15th over with the scalps of Ward and Ben McDermott. But Nikhil Chaudhary and Matthew Wade saw the chase through comfortably. Before it got to this, Warner enthralled the Sydney crowd. Will Prestwidge rocked Thunder with the wickets of Matthew Gilkes and Sam Konstas of the first two balls of the Thunder innings but Warner and Sam Billings pushed back with a 66-run stand for the third wicket. Billings fell in the middle-overs, after which Warner joined forces with Nic Maddinson to further Thunder's essay.

Warner was brutal against most bowlers, starting out with three fours against Rishad Hossain in the eighth over. He took on Rehan too and laid ino Riley Meredith. He and Maddinson gave the Thunder a flying start to the death overs and in the 18th over, Warner reached his century off just 57 deliveries. Warner closed out Thunder's innings with aplomb, going 6 6 6 4 4, but it still proved to be insufficient on the day.

Brief Scores: Sydney Thunder 205/4 in 20 overs (David Warner 130*, Nic Maddinson 30; Will Prestwidge 2-19) lost to Hobart Hurricanes 207/4 in 17.5 overs (Tim Ward 90*, Mitchell Owen 45; Daniel Sams 3-36) by 6 wickets