The picturesque Bellerive Oval, renamed Ninja Stadium these days and nestled on the eastern shore of the Derwent River, has probably never experienced this type of bedlam before.
Giddy fans in the terraces, many of whom were garbed in purple, were hysterical in rare scenes for a mostly downtrodden franchise. Hurricanes have never won a BBL title with Melbourne Stars the only other team with that dubious distinction.
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Before the Sixers victory, Hurricanes had won just two finals matches in their history and none at home. Fans had also dropped off the ‘Cane train’ in recent years with crowds sparse in an oddity compared to the other one-team cities that enjoy massive support.
Eager fans reportedly lined up outside Bellerive Oval for tickets at 5am, five hours before booths opened, on Saturday amid temperatures of only around 12 degrees Celsius.
It was a gut punch for Hurricanes, long derided as underachievers having missed finals two seasons in a row. Moments after the loss, Ellis got the team together for an on-field rallying cry.
“Boys, it’s the first game of a tournament. The conditions probably didn’t suit us tonight. Let’s leave this here,” Ellis told his team-mates.
It was only the second game of the season, but an under-pressure Hurricanes needed a confidence building victory at home against BBL powerhouse Perth Scorchers.
We’ve got some pretty imposing figures, but the biggest thing is the fact that Mitch [Owen] doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs. Tim David doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs
Nathan Ellis
A strapping seam bowling allrounder, Owen had shown flashes of his big-hitting capabilities well down the order across formats. But Hurricanes’ hierarchy in the off-season devised plans to utilise him in the powerplay although Owen was only backed in as an opener days before the Renegades match.
It wasn’t envisioned as some type of ingenious idea, but Owen’s spectacular success – where he became the competition’s most formidable batter in the powerplay – has unlocked a previously inconsistent batting order.
With a staggering strike-rate this season of 191.11, Owen has continually given Hurricanes’ fliers while David has dominated the backend with a strike-rate of 177.62.
It has created more defined roles for the other batters instead of the mishmash that existed in previous seasons. Opener Caleb Jewell has complemented Owen at the top of the order, performing the role as an anchor underlined by a strike-rate of 116.15.
He’s been able to absorb pressure in the middle overs and help build a platform for David to capitalise on. His statistics are modest, but Chaudhary has made seven scores this season between 20 and 42.
“We’ve got some pretty imposing figures, but the biggest thing is the fact that Mitch [Owen] doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs. Tim David doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs,” Ellis said. “I think we’ve got a group that has such good experiences, such good players to adapt to situations. Guys like Caleb, Nikhil, they sort of go unnoticed but have been brilliant.”
While overshadowed by the batting order, Hurricanes’ attack has worked as a unit. Meredith’s rockets gets them going with the new ball and, though naturally expensive at times, he has been more consistent this season.
Spinners Chaudhary and Peter Hatzoglou have bowled tidily, conceding less than eight runs an over, to further reinforce a team where almost every player is contributing with their specific role.
“It’s probably changed a little bit now, but throughout the tournament, you never saw Hurricanes players leading the wickets or leading the runs, but you saw us at the top of the ladder,” Ellis said. “That was something that I was really proud of, something I was really staunch on. The fact that every win we had, it felt like 11 blokes had their thumbprint on it.”
Much like the long-time formula for Scorchers and Sixers, Hurricanes have benefited from continuity with a core group of players who have been together for a while now.
They’ve gone through some tough times, but this playing group is on the cusp of creating history for Hurricanes as they reel in their long-suffering supporters.
“We’ve got a fair few guys who have played together a lot,” Ellis said. “We enjoy each other’s company and I think you can see that on the field. I think it’s a really healthy environment. I know how big this game is for Tasmanian cricket. Hopefully we can be the first ones to bring home the silverware.”
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
Source: ESPN Crickinfo