For the second season in a row, the Hurricanes were knocked out in a first final in front of their Bellerive fans.

The boundary-laden score of 5-197 was the Thunder's highest for this BBL summer.

The Hurricanes could only manage 140 in 18.3 overs.

Hobart's bowlers copped stick from openers Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja, with James Faulkner going for 20 off the first two overs, Scott Boland 15 off the next and the Thunder 49 by the fifth.

But Big Bash find Nathan Ellis cost nine in two overs to pull the powerplay back in.

Back-to-back overs from the spinners next backfired.

Clive Rose, who conceded 10 off the second over of the game, was hammered for 17 off his second, after D'Arcy Short was hit away for 13.

Hales was especially mean on deliveries short from the slow bowlers as Khawaja relied more on deft strokeplay.

But Hales impressed no more than from a clean six that hit the roof of the Ricky Ponting Stand at mid-wicket, travelling up to 112 metres that brought up the side's 100 at the end of the ninth over.

It had cost paceman Scott Boland 35 by his third over.

Faulkner had to be reintroduced into the attack and his fifth ball dismissed Khawaja, who was struck on the back leg trying to swing through the onside for 54 off 34 balls.

Hales soon after brought up his half-century off just 30.

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Captain Matthew Wade took a risk bringing Boland back, and it paid dividends when Hales swiped high to square leg and Simon Milenko caught the Englishman on the rope for 60 off 37 balls.

Rose went for 12 off four balls of his third over, but a rank full toss had Callum Ferguson out for 33 off 22.

South African Chris Morris belted consecutive boundaries off Faulkner, but a bad call had partner Alex Ross (21 off 13) stranded mid-pitch running for a second.

Ellis continued his consistent night full of yorkers to have Morris caught on the mid-wicket boundary for 14 from eight balls to finish with 1-18 off his four top overs.

Wade broke the shackles off the 10th ball of the reply, getting inside the line to slam a six over square leg.

But seven balls later the skipper slog sweeped leggie Jono Cook high on the bat for keeper Jay Lenton to ran just inside the circle to catch out Wade for 14 off 11 deliveries.

After a restrained start, Short got going with a six over long on, a four through extra cover and a full toss-straight drive for a second four in three of the first four balls of Arjun Nair's second over.

Short kept pushing the run rate, but a misleading edge off Cook sliced the ball right to extra cover for 37 off 24.

Missing their talismen, the Hurricanes battled to 3-61 in the eighth over as Mac Wright lobbed up a simple catch.

George Bailey strode to the wicket with intent in his final Bellerive appearance.

He struck two fours and moved to 13 off six balls, but fell next ball to Morris after being caught by Chris Green, who has been banned - at least from bowling - for three months for an illegal action.

It took until the 13th to better the best over since the fifth with 16 runs from Simon Milenko and Ben McDermott hitting 12 in fours.

But the Canes' summer just ended dismally, losing the 6-25 after Cook starred with 4-21 and Morris 3-27.

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