Travis Head and David Miller entertain the Launceston Big Bash crowd

Ultimately, Miller claimed the honours in a slogfest by virtue of his 90 from 48 balls compared to Head's 79 off 40.

But Head certainly did not mind that Adelaide Strikers was 11 runs ahead of Hobart Hurricanes despite Miller's final-ball six in the run chase.

That could have changed early when the South African T20 specialist dropped the Australian Test vice-captain on 21 in the eighth over.

Scott Boland had left the visitors 2-24 at the start of the fifth over and had the misjudged attempt been snared, the course of the game may have been changed at 3-56.

Head instead combined with former Hurricane Jason Wells in a 97-run stand that took just 53 balls to reach.

He struck three fours facing up to his first seven balls.

That was just the start of it.

Head was starting to get on top of leggie Qais Ahmed, smashing two sixes in three balls over mid-wicket as the Strikers were going at nearly 10 an over in his presence.

The 26-year-old swiped Nathan Ellis for six deep into the second tier of the RACT Stand towards 49 off 28 balls.

The shot had called on the fourth umpire to bring a case of suitable replacement balls.

But Head rode his chances when skying a ball towards deep square leg that had appeared to hold up in the air only to land between the boundary rope and the fence - and next to a helpless Ellis.

Two balls later he hit Clive Rose for yet another six, but tried mid-wicket again next ball only to be caught just inside the rope by Caleb Jewell.

After stroking seven sixes, Head walked off the ground moving to seventh overall in the most BBL sixes while only the batters with more - bar absent Hobart star Darcy Short - having played more than his 43 Twenty20 games.

Five balls after a Canes' timeout, Qais ran out Harry Nielsen off his own bowling, but Matt Short picked up the slack with two late sixes for 33 off 20 and with Wells (45 not out off 35) added nine an over in six overs until the 20th to get Adelaide to 5-186.

ELSEWHERE IN SPORT

Hobart's pursuit of 9.35 runs an over hit a hiccup.

After a superbly balanced Matthew Wade got off the mark with a cover-drive boundary, three balls later his front foot was not quite to the pitch of the ball and was caught at first slip by Short off Michael Neser for five.

Jake Doran was chosen to bat at No.3 - the fifth batsman to do so for the Hurricanes this campaign - with a modest first-class average of 27.53 and only five in seven T20s.

But it was opener Jewell that was lost after spooning a ball straight to Neser at mid off to leave the side 2-21 at the start of the fourth over, but only trailing by three runs at the comparative stage.

The out-of-form Miller, who averaged a poor 11.37 heading into Launceston, had a point to prove to Hurricanes fans and swept away two fours and a six from the first 12 balls he faced.

At the other end, Doran was caught out by a diving Head after driving at a ball on the up from Wes Agar for a nearly a run-a-ball 26.

Ben McDermott's arrival was met with urgency and despite four boundaries with Miller in as many overs, the Hurricanes still needed 85 off the last 36 balls and sat behind the Strikers by 27 runs.

The skipper soon after fell for 31 off 17 off Peter Siddle's bowling, hitting hard but straight to Phil Salt at long on.

That had brought George Bailey to the middle for a last Launceston appearance.

The end was not fairytale, but low-key when scooping a ball out to square leg to bow out for five off six deliveries.

Miller was not going to give up, reducing the equation to 43 off 15 after whipping a legside ball over long leg for a towering six that was equal to anything Head played.

But Siddle would spoil the party, turning the clock back years with a catch on the run at third man to dismiss Rose.

With 38 now needed off 12, Miller walloped a six over square leg to replicate Head for the need of another ball.

And then cleared the fence two balls later over long off.

Two more balls later, a diving Rashid Khan saved a certain four that kept Miller to a single, but on strike.

Siddle swung the game more in the Strikers' favour with a dot ball through to the keeper when the Hurricanes needed a 21-run final over.

Miller whacked the third ball away and refused to take a single, hoping to hit three sixes to force a super over - but could only manage one.

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