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Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat Prediction & Match Preview – BBL 35th Match

Hobart Hurricanes started the defence of their title with a loss to the Stars but have been strong since, even without Tim David, who is out for the season with a hamstring injury. A washout against the Sixers at the SCG gave them a point that sealed a place in the finals and a five-point cushion over teams outside the top four.

Nikhil Chaudhary leads their run chart with 263 in eight matches at a strike rate of 158, while Mitch Owen opens with him. Ben McDermott has 211 and Tim Ward 176. Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis have taken 18 wickets together, Chris Jordan is the death-overs specialist and Rishad Hossain has 11 wickets at 7.63.

Brisbane Heat have not won back-to-back games, but Usman Khawaja’s return after retiring from Tests helped, and he made 78 off 48 balls last time. Matt Renshaw has 287 runs in eight games, Max Bryant 188 and Jack Wildermuth 215. Xavier Bartlett leads the bowlers with 10 wickets, and Wildermuth and Thomas Balkin share 15, though the rest of the attack has been inconsistent.

Probable playing XI

Hobart Hurricanes

  1. Mitchell Owen
  2. Tim Ward
  3. Beau Webster
  4. Ben McDermott (c)
  5. Nikhil Chaudhary
  6. Matthew Wade (wk)
  7. Rehan Ahmed
  8. Chris Jordan
  9. Rishad Hossain
  10. Riley Meredith
  11. Billy Stanlake

Brisbane Heat

  1. Usman Khawaja (c)
  2. Jack Wildermuth
  3. Nathan McSweeney
  4. Matt Renshaw
  5. Max Bryant
  6. Marnus Labuschagne
  7. Jimmy Peirson (wk)
  8. Xavier Bartlett
  9. Matthew Kuhnemann
  10. Thomas Balkin
  11. Zaman Khan

Pitch report

Bellerive Oval often offers a balanced contest. The new ball can swing in cool Tasmanian conditions, so shot selection matters early, then the pitch flattens and set batters can score more freely. Spin plays a modest role with limited turn, making accuracy and variations more valuable.

Weather

At 7:15 pm local time it should be cool at roughly 15–16 °C and mostly cloudy. Some rain may fall earlier in the day, but the match is expected to stay mostly dry, with a light to moderate southeasterly breeze.

Expected scores

  • 1st innings: 150–165
  • 2nd innings: 140–160

Frequently asked questions

Where is Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat being played?

The 35th match of BBL 2025-26 is at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on 14 January 2026.

Who is favoured to win?

Our preview picks Hobart Hurricanes, who have already secured a finals berth.

What does Brisbane need to do to reach the finals?

Their net run rate is weak, so they must win both remaining games, including this one in Hobart.

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