Central Districts secured their first win of the Global Super League (GSL) 2025 season, defeating Hobart Hurricanes by 16 runs at a thrilling encounter. The standout moment was the impressive 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket between captain Tom Bruce and Curtis Heaphy, which set a solid platform for victory.
Bruce and Heaphy’s Partnership Turns the Tide
After losing the toss and choosing to bat following two losses, Central Districts had a shaky start with Dane Cleaver and Will Young dismissed by the end of the powerplay for just 37 runs. The team was quickly reduced to 40 for 3 in the eighth over, but Bruce and Heaphy steadied the innings brilliantly. Over 12 overs, they combined for a rapid 113 runs off just 73 balls. Bruce took charge, smashing 61 runs from 35 deliveries, while Heaphy contributed a valuable unbeaten 50 off 38 balls. When Bruce was dismissed by Odean Smith, Central Districts stood at a strong 153. Matthew Forde’s quickfire 14 runs in the final over helped push the total to 167.
Hurricanes Fall Short Despite Late Fightback
Hobart Hurricanes struggled to keep up with the target from the outset, losing two wickets inside the powerplay and three by the eighth over with only 38 runs on the board. The pressure continued to mount as six wickets had fallen by the 15th over for just 84 runs. Ajaz Patel was the key bowler for Central Districts, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 18.
Despite the top-order collapse, Mohammad Nabi and Fabian Allen offered some resistance with a 65-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Nabi scored a quick 43 off 25 balls, while Allen smashed an unbeaten 36 from 16 deliveries, including five sixes. However, the late surge wasn’t enough, and Hurricanes fell short by 16 runs.
Central Districts Gain Crucial Points
The win puts Central Districts on two points from three games, leveling with Hobart Hurricanes and Dubai Capitals. However, due to net run rates, Hobart remains third in the five-team table, with Dubai and Central Districts trailing behind.
Tom Bruce reflected on the partnership:
“𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔. 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒎 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅.”
Ajaz Patel added on his bowling performance:
“𝑾𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏. 𝑮𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎’𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒏.”
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