Meredith's injury woes continue as Sixers sweep aside Hurricanes

The Hurricanes' season-opener and only fixture at UTAS Stadium for BBL13, a fast start proved unsustainable as they struggled for runs with the bat before a largely impotent performance with the ball.

Adding insult to defeat for Hobart was an injury to luckless fast bowler Riley Meredith, who hobbled from the pitch holding his side just nine balls into his spell.

Caleb Jewell's 42 runs as opener was a bright spark for the 'Canes, while New Zealander-turned United States all-rounder Corey Anderson had the best debut of the imports, finishing with 17 runs and 2-10.

While for the Sixers, Tom Curran's 3-19 off four overs and Daniel Hughes' 60 not out off 50 led the team to victory.

After Nathan Ellis elected to trust the batting-first winning percentage at UTAS Stadium, openers Matthew Wade and Jewell got the Hurricanes off to the perfect start, hitting 15 runs off the first over.

Three-consecutive boundaries against Victorian off-break Todd Murphy the following over had Jewell out to 22 off just seven, much to the delight of the steady if not impressive crowd.

The home side's explosive start came to an abrupt and slightly anti-climactic end as Wade guided his hook shot off Jack Edwards straight to Murphy at deep fine-leg.

Jewell continued at breakneck speed while new batter Ben McDermott got used to conditions, powering seven boundaries and a six before chipping a drive off English seamer Curran straight to Sixers skipper Moises Henriques.

Ben Dwarshuis picked up where he left off against the Melbourne Renegades, claiming Sam Hain's wicket caught-and-bowled, with the Hong Kong-born, Australian-developed, English representative's contribution of three an ominous sign that the Hurricanes' import curse is alive and well.

When Singapore-born big-hitter Tim David arrived and exited the crease in the same over, Hobart's bright start seemed a distant memory as the score moved to 4-69.

Dwarshuis' two-wicket salvo was backed up by Edwards whose second wicket came in the first ball of his return over when he dismissed McDermott for 11 thanks to a brilliant catch from wicket-keeper Josh Philippe.

English international Chris Jordan and former New Zealand representative Anderson were next at the crease and tasked with salvaging the Hurricanes' innings, the two cricketing mercenaries started in pragmatic fashion.

After failing to reach the boundary for 29 deliveries, Anderson and Jordan hit a four and a six respectively off Henriques' first over as the side crept to three figures.

With momentum slowly returning towards those in purple, the veteran duo's hard work was undone when Jordan slashed at a back-of-a-length delivery that popped high in the air before being well caught by the diving James Vince.

Running out of partners, Anderson's stuttering innings of 17 off 27 came to an end a few overs later after he hauled out to Tasmanian Tigers captain Jordan Silk.

Paddy Dooley added a useful 19 before becoming Curran's third victim, as the home side drifted to a score of 8-135.

The Sixers got off to a steady start through the first two overs, but fell to 1-20 when Vince clipped a Meredith ball off his pads to the waiting hands of Peter Hatzoglou at mid-wicket.

Celebration turned to concern two balls later as Meredith left the field with a suspected side strain.

The match entered something of a lull during the few overs afterwards, with Philippe and Hughes looking to do little more than rotate the strike.

Anderson continued his solid debut performance as Philippe sliced his cut shot down McDermott's throat at point to keep the hosts vaguely in the contest.

The chase innings continued to drift with the 'Canes applying pressure through restricting boundaries, but the Sixers refused to hand their wickets away in the same way that their opponents did.

That would change at Anderson's reintroduction to the crease, who once again forced a Sixers batter to play a mistimed cross-bat stroke through the off-side, this time Henriques (20 off 23).

After moving his way to 44 at a strike-rate not far beyond 100, Hughes decided to take it up a gear as he found the boundary with a one-bounce four with a loft over short fine-leg from a full Peter Hatzoglou delivery.

The left-hander brought up his 50 not long afterwards with the Sixers requiring their target of 136 at a rate little more than run-a-ball.

If there was any doubt before, Silk appeared to put the game to bed when he launched Jordan for a maximum over deep mid-wicket.

Entering the penultimate over needing just 10 runs, Silk played an unnecessary swipe across the line against Ellis and duly skied it to Wade who gloved it with ease.

Ellis tried his hardest to keep the match alive as long as he could, but on his final ball Hughes launched it five rows back through deep backward-square.

Curran finished the game in stylish fashion with four balls remaining, finding the boundary with a glorious back-foot cover-drive.

The Hurricanes' next fixture is in Western Australia on Wednesday, December 20, where they play reigning premiers Perth Scorchers.