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Hobart Hurricanes
Brisbane Heat
Hobart Hurricanes will take on Brisbane Heat at home in the 35th match of the Big Bash League 2025/26. The Hurricanes will enter this contest as the table-toppers with 13 points from 9 matches. Brisbane Heat are placed 5th with 8 points from 8 games. They will be under pressure to stay in the qualification race.
Hobart Hurricanes will carry strong recent form into this match. They will have won 5 of their last 6 completed games. A win here will secure a double chance in the playoffs. The Hurricanes will also take confidence from their 5-wicket win over the Brisbane Heat earlier this season.
Brisbane Heat will need a result to stay alive in the tournament. Their net run rate of -0.446 will keep them under pressure. They will need wins in both remaining matches to push for qualification. Head-to-head numbers slightly favour Hobart, both recently and overall.
Nathan Ellis has taken 12 wickets this season and has 13 wickets against the Brisbane Heat in past meetings, making him likely to pick up multiple wickets.
The betting tip is...
Nathan Ellis - Over 1.5 wickets
63 %
37 %
Hobart HurricanesBrisbane HeatHobart Hurricanes had an early setback against the Stars but responded with consistent performances across the season. The team stayed strong despite losing Tim David to a season-ending hamstring injury. A single point from the washout against the Sixers at the SCG confirmed a finals berth and created a 5-point gap from teams outside the top four.
The batting unit has good balance. Mitchell Owen and Nikhil Chaudhary gave solid starts, with Chaudhary finishing as the leading run-scorer with 263 runs from 8 matches at a strike rate of 158. Ben McDermott added stability with 211 runs from 8 games at 125. Tim Ward has supported the middle order with 176 runs at close to 140.
The bowling attack has been effective, with Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis taking 18 wickets. Chris Jordan controlled the death overs while Rishad Hossain claimed 11 wickets at 7.63.
Meredith, Ellis and Hossain are the key bowlers.
Predicted Lineup: Mitchell Owen, Tim Ward, Beau Webster, Ben McDermott (c), Nikhil Chaudhary, Matthew Wade (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake
Brisbane Heat have had a stop-start campaign with no back-to-back wins so far. The return of Usman Khawaja from the Ashes provided momentum and kept finals hopes alive. A weak net run rate means Brisbane needs wins in both remaining matches, including this tough away fixture.
Matt Renshaw has carried the batting load while scoring 287 runs from 8 matches at an average of 41 and a strike rate of 158. Max Bryant has supported him with 188 runs from 8 games at 158. Jack Wildermuth has added depth with 215 runs in 8 matches. Khawaja strengthened the top order and showed impact with a 78 off 48 balls in his last outing.
Xavier Bartlett led the bowling with 10 wickets at 9.40. Wildermuth and Thomas Balkin have taken 15 wickets in total.
Bartlett, Wildermuth and Balkin are the key bowlers.
Predicted Lineup: Usman Khawaja (c), Jack Wildermuth, Nathan McSweeney, Matt Renshaw, Max Bryant, Marnus Labuschagne, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Thomas Balkin, Zaman Khan
Hobart Hurricanes will head into this match with form, points and home conditions in their favour. They will look to control the game with the ball at Bellerive Oval, where pace and bounce usually assist pacers.
Hobartβs bowling attack has delivered consistently this season, and the pressure of a must-win situation will force Brisbane Heat to take risks with the bat.
Nathan Ellis will again play a key role with the new ball and at the death. He has already taken 12 wickets this season and has a strong record against Brisbane with 13 wickets in past meetings. Hobartβs bowlers will shine again with the Heat under pressure in this match.
