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39-year-old David Warner is still showing how it’s done. On January 3, Sydney Thunder captain Warner scored an unbeaten 160 off 65 deliveries against Hobart Hurricanes in the home game. Warner did not just register the highest score by a Sydney Thunder batter in Big Bash League (BBL) history, he equalled India’s Virat Kohli’s tally of T20 tons (T20Is, domestic T20s and franchise T20 cricket).
Apart from Kohli and Warner, South Africa's T20 freelancer Rilee Rossouw has nine T20 centuries to his name as well. Pakistan's Babar Azam holds the second spot with 11 T20 centuries. T20 legend, the self-proclaimed universe boss, Chris Gayle is on the top way ahead of others with 22 centuries.
The last time Warner scored a BBL century was in 2011. He was BBL's first centurion. For Thunder, he scored an unbeaten 102 off 51 balls against Melbourne Stars. More than 14 years later, the southpaw hit 11 fours and nine sixes in his unbeaten 130.
Warner’s ton in vain, joins Easwaran
Despite Warner's 130 to help Thunder post 205/4, he ended up on the losing side. Hobart Hurricanes opener Tim Ward scored 90 runs from 49 deliveries. He shared a 108-run partnership from 51 balls with Mitchell Owen who whacked five sixes in his 18-ball 45. Later, unbeaten cameos from Nikhil Chaudhary and Matthew Wade took Hurricanes over the line with six wickets in hand and 13 balls to spare.
Warner’s unbeaten 130 is the second-highest score by a captain in a losing cause in T20s. More than a month ago, Bengal's Easwaran scored an unbeaten 130 off 66 balls against Punjab in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 in an unsuccessful run chase. The record belongs to Australia's Cameron White who scored an unbeaten 141 while leading Somerset against Worcestershire in 2006.
“It was tough to lose two early wickets. On this pitch, if you hang in there, you can put up a good score. One of those games where you felt one of them (Ward or Owen) was going to go off, and both did, unfortunately for us. (On losing two early wickets) You have to back yourself, grind it out and on a true surface, you can actually give yourself time. We are trying to work out how to go in the first four. Nice surface here but we, as a group, need to work out how to go about it,” Warner said in the post-match presentation.
“They (Hurricanes) have chased well in the last couple of years. Credit to him (Owen). He was a bit stiller tonight and for his sake, hope he can keep doing it (moving forward). We have played one complete game. Back to basics, starting well with bat and ball. High morale still in the group. We are up and about, just not winning.”
Thunder in trouble at the bottom
This was Sydney Thunder's fifth defeat from six games. They are at the bottom of the points table. Thunder have four games left in the league stage. Each game is going to be a must-win from them starting with Adelaide Strikes on January 6 away from home.
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