Hobart Hurricanes opener Mitchell Owen smashed the joint-fastest century in the history of the BBL in today's final against Sydney Thunder. Here's all you need to know about the 23-year-old sensation.
Hurricanes were tasked with chasing down 182 in Hobart, after Jason Sangha and David warner starred for Thunder with the bat. Owen demolished the target, beginning with smashing three consecutive boundaries in the first over of the chase. He went on to reach 50 off 16-balls, equalling the third-fastest half-century ever in the competition. His opening partnership with Caleb Jewell reached 109 at the start of the seventh over before Jewell pulled a drag down from Tanveer Sangha to midwicket.
Owen reached his century off 39 balls before the halfway point in the innings. He equalled Craig Simmons's record for the fastest hundred in BBL history, Simmons having held the record in his own right since 2014 after hitting 102 off 41 balls for Perth Scorchers against Adelaide Strikers. Owen was out shortly after reaching three figures, miscuing a pull shot off Tanveer to Warner at mid-wicket.
The innings is also Owen's second BBL century of the current edition. He had scored 101 not out off 64 balls against Perth Scorchers in December. He finishes the competition at the top of the run-scoring charts, having scored 452 runs with a strike-rate of over 200.
This is Owen's fourth season in BBL, having made his debut in the 2021 season. However, this season is his first since making the transition into playing as an opening batter in the league, having previously batted in the lower middle order as an all-rounder bowling right-arm medium pace.
Owen represents Tasmania in Australian domestic cricket. He made his List A debut in the 2021 Marsh Cup, but is yet to excel in the format, with an average of 11.72 and a high score of 29 after 15 appearances. In late 2023, he made his debut in first-class cricket for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield. He was bowled for a duck in his only innings but did take two wickets with the ball. He scored three 50s in five Shield matches this season, with a high score of 83.
While Owen is currently uncapped at international level, his brutal treatment of spinners in his rapid century in the BBL final indicates that he could be effective for Australia in the sub-continent if he wins international selection in the future. His innings drew praise from the international cricket community, with England's Sam Curran among those praising him on social media.
This is unbelievable striking from Mitchell Owen 🤩 WOW #bigbash
— Sam Curran (@CurranSM) January 27, 2025
Hobart Hurricanes went on to win the final comfortably after Owen's assault. Ben McDermott hit the winning runs off McAndrew with six overs left to bat.
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