Hurricanes win Spring Challenge in final ball thriller

Hobart Hurricanes have taken out the inaugural T20 Spring Challenge in a final over thriller against Brisbane Heat at Cricket Central in Sydney.

With one required from the final ball, Emma Manix-Geeves managed to get bat on a Sianna Ginger delivery to backward point as she and partner Molly Strano scampered through for the winning run to make the Hurricanes champions.

It was a great fightback from the Heat after electing to bat but being restricted to 133 runs from their 20 overs. In reply, Lizelle Lee got the Hurricanes off to a flying start.

The Hobart opener smacked 10 fours and two sixes on her way to a match-winning 63 off 47 and although the wickets of Ruth Johnston and Nicola Carey fell around her, she had her side in a winning position at 2-90 in the 13th over.

It was in that over where the Heat broke through, claiming the wicket of Lee and also removing captain Elyse Villani two balls later when she top-edged a ball to Laura Harris off the bowling of Grace Parsons.

All of a sudden, despite the Hurricanes needing 44 runs from 44 balls, the Heat had the momentum. A superb run out by Ginger saw Tabatha Saville on her way for five leaving Strano and Manix-Geeves at the crease with 24 needed from the final three overs.

Charli Knott and Nicola Hancock did well to keep the contest alive despite allowing 20 runs from their two overs, leaving Ginger to defend three from the final over.

She opened her over with two dots balls as the pressure mounted on the Hurricanes pair. Strano was able slog the third ball for two before single off the fifth gave Manix-Geeves the responsibility of hitting the winning runs.

The 24-year-old held her nerve to steer the ball to backward point for a single to win the game and the title for the Hurricanes.

Earlier, the Hurricanes bowlers did a phenomenal job at restricting the powerful Heat batting line-up with Strano (3-31) and Johnston (4-20) doing the bulk of the damage.

Several Heat batters got going but were unable to kick on with Ginger the top scorer with 24 as regular wickets stalled their momentum.

It'll no doubt give the Hurricanes confidence as the head into the Weber WBBL|10 season in a weeks' time with the aim of returning to Big Bash finals for the first time since WBBL|08.

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