Mitchell Owen Smashes 3rd Fastest 50 in BBL History
Mitchell Owen scored third fastest fifty in the history of the BBL.
The Hobart Hurricanes have put on a display of pure batting brilliance in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 final against the Sydney Thunder, and leading the charge is none other than Mitchell Owen.
In a stunning display of power hitting, Owen raced to the third-fastest fifty in BBL history, reaching the landmark in just 16 balls. With a target of 183, Owen made it seem like a walk in the park, as he destroyed the Thunder’s bowlers with an onslaught of sixes and boundaries.
Owen’s blistering fifty ties him with Tom Banton for the third-fastest fifty in BBL history, both of them achieving the feat in just 16 balls. However, Owen’s fifty came with more runs than Banton’s, which places him firmly at the third spot in the all-time fastest fifty list. It was also the fastest half-century ever scored in a BBL final and the quickest fifty ever by a Hobart Hurricanes player.
The record for the fastest fifty is still held by Chris Gayle, who hit a 12-ball fifty against the Adelaide Strikers in 2016. Dan Christian follows with a 15-ball half-century, also against the Strikers, in 2020. Banton’s 16-ball fifty in 2020 came against the Thunder, while Ben Cutting joins the list with a 17-ball fifty against the Melbourne Stars in 2019.
Owen’s blitzkrieg didn’t stop at his personal milestone. The Hurricanes reached their team century in just six overs, a feat made possible by Owen’s destructive stroke play. His strike rate at one point was nearly 300, leaving the Thunder bowlers searching for answers. Despite all the permutations and combinations attempted by Thunder’s skipper, David Warner, nothing seemed to work against Owen’s onslaught.
Fastest 50s in Big Bash League history:
| Player | Balls | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH Gayle | 12 | Renegades v Strikers | 18 January 2016 |
| DT Christian | 15 | Sixers v Strikers | 20 December 2020 |
| Mitchell Owen | 16 | Hurricanes v Thunder | 27 January 2025 |
| T Banton | 16 | Heat v Thunder | 06 January 2020 |
| BCJ Cutting | 17 | Heat v Stars | 08 February 2019 |
| N Pooran | 17 | Stars v Sixers | 26 December 2020 |
| Chris Jordan | 17 | Hurricanes v Scorchers | 20 December 2023 |
| TP Ludeman | 18 | Strikers v Stars | 18 December 2014 |
| CA Lynn | 18 | Heat v Hurricanes | 15 January 2015 |
| BB McCullum | 18 | Heat v Renegades | 20 January 2017 |
| Laurie Evans | 18 | Scorchers v Strikers | 03 January 2024 |
| CA Lynn | 19 | Heat v Stars | 14 January 2016 |
