A superb bowling display from fan-favourite Rana Naved helped the Hurricanes move to the top of the table as they beat the Sydney Sixers by 42 runs in their T20 Big Bash League clash in Hobart on Wednesday night.
Pakistani import Naved took 4 for 22 off four overs to clean up the Sixers after Hobart posted an imposing total of 3 for 169 off its 20 overs.
The Sixers misfired with ball in hand and fumbled regularly in the field as a 107-run partnership between opener Phil Jaques (73 of 55 balls) and man-of-the-match Travis Birt (65 off 41) propelled the Hurricanes to a big score.
"That's my blueprint, run-a-ball sort of stuff at the top and if I get some boundaries away then great," Jaques said.
"If we can make 170 every game, I think we'll go a long way in this comp."
Sixers captain Steven Smith said his side had plenty of work to do.
"Just executing our skills with the ball was a main (problem) and just batting a bit deeper as well, giving ourselves a chance," he said.
"We weren't quite on tonight but the sun comes up tomorrow and hopefully we'll be right next game."
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the home side lost Ricky Ponting's replacement Jonathan Wells early but steadied when the big-hitting Birt joined former Test batsman Jaques at the crease.
The pair batted patiently until Birt smashed a towering six off Stuart MacGill in the 10th over to signal the start of a run frenzy.
They were aided by some poor fielding by the Sixers, who had trouble keeping their footing on a slippery Bellerive Oval surface.
The visiting side was equally generous with ball in hand as Dwayne Bravo (0 for 23 off 2 overs) and Moises Henriques (0 for 29 off 2) felt the wrath of Birt's big hitting.
He eventually fell to the bowling of Mitchell Starc, who finished the best of Sydney's bowlers with 2 for 35 off his allotted four overs.
Needing more than eight runs per over for victory, any hopes of a successful Sixers chase looked dashed when Ben Hilfenhaus and Jason Krejza took wickets off consecutive balls to remove openers Peter Nevill (3) and Michael Lumb (3).
The Hurricanes' bowlers produced a steady stream of wickets, with cult hero Naved coming within a whisker of a hat-trick as he cleaned up the Sixers' tail.
Krejza chimed in with two wickets and Hilfenhaus, Xavier Doherty and Ben Laughlin all finished with one apiece in an impressive team display.
Nic Maddinson top scored for the Sixers with 33 off 27 balls but when Steve Smith (28 off 28) and Henriques (22 off 17) lost their wickets, it signalled the end of Sydney's challenge.
It was Hobart's second successive victory of the nascent Big Bash competition.
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