A scary moment shocked everyone during the Big Bash League 2025–26 Qualifier at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Tuesday, January 20, when Perth Scorchers opener Aaron Hardie was hit hard by a fierce shot from his batting partner, Finn Allen.
Aaron Hardie smacked by teammate Finn Allen’s thunderous hit during Big Bash League 2025–26 Qualifier
The incident unfolded in the fifth over when Sydney Sixers fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis bowled a full delivery outside the off stump to Finn Allen during the ongoing BBL 2025-26 in Perth. Allen went hard at the ball and smashed it straight back down to the ground.
The shot was hit with so much power that Aaron Hardie, standing at the non-striker’s end, had almost no time to react. The ball crashed straight into Hardie before he could move out of the way. He tried to protect himself by raising his hands, but the shot was too quick.
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Hardie was immediately seen in pain after taking the blow. At first, it looked like the ball struck his leg, but later cameras showed that it may have painfully clipped the tip of his fingers as well. The Australian all-rounder looked clearly uncomfortable and took time to recover.
Thankfully, Aaron Hardie avoided a major injury, but the moment left everyone scared, including Dwarshuis. The Perth Scorchers opener continued his batting as Allen hit the Sixers bowler for a boundary.
Finn Allen smoked this ball straight at the non-striker, Aaron Hardie 😳 #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/vynm6gLB8q
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 20, 2026
Hardie couldn’t get out of the way 😳#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/ntn5GeeVps
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 20, 2026
Finn Allen sets BBL record, but Ben Dwarshuis has the last laugh
Meanwhile, Allen has been in sensational form with the bat in the ongoing Big Bash League season, but in the Qualifier, he failed to play a big knock. However, the New Zealander managed to break the record for the most sixes of Mitch Owen (36) in a BBL season.
Now, Allen has become the player with the most sixes – 37 in a single edition of the BBL. However, Dwarshuis had the last—37 laugh after bowling a couple of expensive overs. Right after achieving the milestone, the Kiwi star was bowled out by the Sixers pacer in Perth.
Dwarshuis bowled a shorter ball that moved slightly away from Allen. The batter tried to hit the ball hard across the field, but his feet did not move properly and he could not hit the ball cleanly. The ball took a thick edge from the bottom of Allen’s bat and rolled back onto the stumps.
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As the stumps were blinked, Allen had to walk back to the pavilion after scoring 49 runs from 30 balls, featuring 2 fours and 4 sixes, in the ongoing Big Bash League 2025–26 Qualifier in Perth. His wicket sparked a shocking batting collapse for the Scorchers, losing three wickets for 20 runs.
Confused Aaron Hardie pays the price, as Mitchell Starc’s clever ball sends him back after review drama
After the blow, Aaron Hardie was not comfortable, and Mitchell Starc bowled a clever delivery to get rid of the opener. Starc bowled a slower short ball outside the off stump. Hardie looked confused and could not decide whether to play the shot or leave the ball.
Eventually, he ended up playing a weak pull shot. The ball touched the bottom edge of Hardie’s bat and went into the air, and Sixers wicketkeeper Josh Philippe dived forward to take a clean catch. Hardie asked for a review, but the UltraEdge showed a clear sound from the bat. After wasting a review, Hardie returned back to the dugout after making 17 runs from 19 balls.
