McDermott smashed 96 runs from 56 balls on Monday night, as the Hurricanes chased down the Thunder's 5-177 with two overs to spare.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hurricanes, and moved them from seventh to third on the ladder.

With three games to play, the Thunder are still second but only three points clear of seventh after missing a crucial chance to kick clear.

McDermott meanwhile was electric at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The right-hander blasted five sixes, including one of the biggest in recent years in the BBL when he hit Nathan McAndrew over the legside and out of the ground.

"That came right out the middle and I just swung hard," McDermott said.

"You don't get the mixture of both very often.

"I actually hit Daniel Sams for a very similar one here (at Manuka) two years ago."

Sams again copped treatment from McDermott again on Monday night with two more sixes that stayed in the complex.

The left-armer then finished the night in cotton wool, after hurting his wrist while trying to field a ball while bowling.

But there was no such pain for McDermott.

He also shared a 109-run partnership with Dawid Malan (42 off 28), before the Englishman was out trying to reverse sweep Sangha (2-45).

McDermott is now averaging 49.62 for the tournament and while he fell to Tanveer Sangha just before he could bring up the summer's first century, he is flying.

"It's probably the best I've played that I can remember," McDermott said.

"It's the most consistent I've been. Normally it's a bit up and down but hopefully I can keep it going for the finals.

"I'm 26 now getting towards the peak of my career so it's nice to sort of get your straps when you're sort of my age."

Earlier, Scott Boland became the first bowler in BBL history to claim the wickets of an opposition's top three batsmen in one over.

After the Thunder shot out of the blocks, Boland removed both openers Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja as well as Oliver Davies in the space of five balls.

Sam Billings kickstarted a fightback with 50 from 34, being dropped twice before eventually falling to Boland, while Ben Cutting and Sams fired late.

But it still wasn't enough, as Boland's 4-41 gave McDermott the platform to put Hobart back into BBL reckoning.

"Ben played beautifully but we struggled to get him off strike at times when he was going well, which is something that we do quite well usually," Thunder captain Callum Ferguson said.

Australian Associated Press