Hooley Dooley! Mystery spinner Paddy Dooley stuns Perth Scorchers in shock loss to Hobart Hurricanes

Perth Scorchers suffered a shock eight-run loss to Hobart in Launceston after a stunning bowling performance from mystery spinner Paddy Dooley.

Left-arm wrist spinner Dooley took 4-16 in just his third Big Bash game, including top-scorer Josh Inglis (62 off 37) who looked like winning the game off his own bat, as the reigning champs failed to chase down 173 for victory.

Needing 14 off the final over, bowled by seamer Nathan Ellis, lower-order pair Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye could only manage five to finish on 8-164.

The Inglis-Ashton Turner combination put on 75 for the third wicket in 44 balls before the latter’s dismissal for an 18-ball 20 turned the game on its head.

Inglis looked like making Hobart pay for D’Arcy Short’s dropped catch on 33, which slipped through his hands off Ellis during the power surge, before becoming Dooley’s third victim.

South African superstar Faf du Plessis threatened to take the game away from Hobart with a blistering start, blasting 32 from his first 12 balls before getting tied down by Dooley who knocked him over last delivery of the 44-run power play.

Allrounder Aaron Hardie (12 off 13), the batting hero on Saturday with a maiden BBL half-century, fell to a flying return catch from spinner Shadab Khan in the penultimate over in another game-changing moment amid the Scorchers’ collapse of 5-38 in the last 40 balls.

It came after speedster Richardson’s (3-26 off four) red-hot bowling form continued, taking his tournament tally to seven scalps in two games since returning from a heel injury.

The Hurricanes appeared destined for a 200-plus score, sitting pretty at 2-110 in the during the first power surge in the 12th, before losing 6-26 to finish on 8-172.

Camera Icon Andrew Tye of the Scorchers celebrates the wicket of D’Arcy Short of the Hurricanes during the Men’s Big Bash League match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Perth Scorchers at University of Tasmania Stadium, on December 19, 2022, in Launceston, Australia. Credit: Steve Bell/Getty Images

It would’ve been a lot worse if not for a late cameo from ex-Scorcher Tim David, who belted an unbeaten 46 off 28 balls including 14 from Andrew Tye’s the final over of the innings.

Hardie was on a hat-trick after the wickets of Asif Ali and Joel Paris on his way to figures of 2-10 from his two overs.

Left-arm seamer Jason Behrendorff (1-38 off four) struck first ball of the match with the prized scalp of Ben McDermott who burned the Hurricanes’ only review in a bid to overturn a plum LBW decision.

But it was all the home side for the rest of the power play, which finished on 1-37, with Matthew Wade (51 off 29 balls) taking Behrendorff and Saturday’s player of the match Richardson (3-26 off four) down.

Camera Icon Andrew Tye of the Scorchers celebrates the wicket of D’Arcy Short of the Hurricanes during the Men’s Big Bash League match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Perth Scorchers at University of Tasmania Stadium, on December 19, 2022, in Launceston, Australia. Credit: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Wade brought up his half-century with a six off Tye before the Scorchers all-time leading wicket-taker get his revenge next ball.

After going for 18 during his two power play overs, Richardson bounced back with a pair of import scalps in the surge – Shadab Khan (22 of 17) and James Neesham (second-ball duck).

Spinner Peter Hatzoglou, who was picked ahead of seamer Matt Kelly after missing out in game one, was went 13 runs off his sole over.

The Scorchers’ next assignment is against Melbourne Stars in St Kilda on Friday before hosting Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Boxing Day.

Camera Icon Josh Inglis of the Scorchers hits a boundary during the Men’s Big Bash League match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Perth Scorchers at University of Tasmania Stadium, on December 19, 2022, in Launceston, Australia. Credit: Steve Bell/Getty Images

In other BBL news, Sydney Thunder captain Jason Sangha is out for the tournament after breaking his collarbone.

Sangha sustained the injury diving stop a boundary late in Sunday’s tight loss to Melbourne Renegades.

Stars batter Joe Burns (hamstring) has also been ruled out for BBL12.