Chris Jordan played the decisive role with an all-round performance, earning Player of the Match honours as Hurricanes chased down 181 in dramatic fashion.
Batting first, Thunder posted a competitive 180 for 6, built around Cameron Bancroft’s 61 off 44 balls and late cameos from Shadab Khan (34) and Daniel Sams (23*).
Hurricanes bowlers shared the workload, with Billy Stanlake claiming three wickets, while Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain made an impressive BBL debut.
Introduced just after the powerplay, Rishad bowled with maturity and control, conceding only 18 runs from his three overs at an economy of 6.00. He applied the brakes through the middle overs, allowing Hurricanes to keep Thunder in check despite the late surge.
In reply, Hurricanes got off to a flying start through Mitchell Owen (32 off 14), before key contributions from Nikhil Chaudhary (41) and Ben McDermott (38) kept the chase on track.
After a late wobble, Jordan (16* off 13) and captain Nathan Ellis calmly guided the hosts home in the final over, sealing a memorable win and underlining Hurricanes’ strong start to the tournament.
