Hobart Hurricanes 207 for 5 (Jewell 76, Owen 44, Johnson 3-26) beat Brisbane Heat 201 for 6 (Labuschagne 77, Renshaw 40, Ellis 3-42) by five wickets
Matthew Wade hit a six off the final ball as Hobart Hurricanes unleashed their considerable firepower in a superb chase of 202 to defeat Brisbane Heat in a pivotal result that kept alive the BBL finals hopes of three teams.
Openers Caleb Jewell and Mitchell Owen got Hurricanes off to a rampant start on a batting-friendly Gabba surface. After a late wobble, Hurricanes needed 11 runs off the final over and then whittled it down to requiring one off the final ball. Wade finished as the hero with a six off Xavier Bartlett that sailed over deep square leg.
It was Hurricanes' seventh straight win and sealed a home final. It was a disappointment for Heat, who had posted a big score on the back of Marnus Labuschagne hitting 77 off 44 in his BBL return.
Their defeat was further soured by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann injuring his right thumb late in the contest in a development that could have ramifications for Australia's upcoming Test squad to Sri Lanka.
The result kept alive the slim finals prospects of Adelaide Strikers, Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades, who would have all been eliminated if Heat had won.
Owen ignites early, Wade the late hero
The elevation of Owen from the middle-lower order to opener has proven a masterstroke for Hurricanes this season. The powerfully-built Owen has had the licence to attack in the powerplay and once again he got Hurricanes off to a flier.
He whacked three sixes in his favoured leg-side region as Hurricanes motored to 47 for 0 after four overs. Owen was running hot and, bizarrely, a fire started in the DJ booth in the terraces.
There was a brief delay as nearby fans had to be evacuated, but Owen did not lose his rhythm on resumption. He whacked legspinner Mitchell Swepson for a trio of blows into the crowd in the sixth over before holing out for 44 off 20 balls.
After Charlie Wakim was stumped for a duck in a tight call, Jewell and Nikhil Chaudhary combined for an 81-run partnership to get Hurricanes back on track. Jewell batted beautifully with several gorgeous strokes through the covers as Hurricanes gained the ascendency by the time they took the Power Surge in the 16th over.
But the match turned with Chaudhary and Jewell dismissed in the Surge and it came down to a nerve-jangling final over.
Wade and Jake Doran had to combat slower deliveries from Bartlett before Wade swept a faster paced ball into the crowd to seal a stunning result that had wider ramifications.
More to follow
