Tim David has fired for the second straight match to steer the Hobart Hurricanes to a convincing win over the Sydney Thunder and top spot on the Big Bash League table.
Hobart ran down Sydney's 6-164 at Ninja Stadium on Friday night with 19 balls to spare, with David finishing unbeaten on 68 from 38 balls.
The Australian blaster, elevated to No.5 after Ben McDermott suffered hamstring soreness fielding, came to life in the two-over power surge, hitting 26 from six deliveries.
David iced the six-wicket win with a maximum off Wes Agar, his sixth six of the match.
The 28-year-old played an almost identical hand in the Hurricanes' win over Adelaide in their previous match with an unbeaten 62 from 28 deliveries.
"It's nice to get some scores and be not out and win the game," David said.
"Adding a bit of responsibility and what the team needs from me, that part is really satisfying.
"I think I've got the skills to be able to win games from anywhere. It's nice to have those performances to back that up."
The Hurricanes have won five matches in a row to stamp themselves as genuine title contenders with three games remaining before the finals.
Hobart have missed the finals in the past two seasons and are one of two teams yet to lift the BBL silverware.
They overcame an injury scare in the field when skipper Nathan Ellis crashed head-first into an advertising board in the 15th over when diving trying to stop a boundary.
He was assessed by medical staff and remarkably returned to the field soon afterwards and continued to bowl.
Sydney drop from first to third on the ladder with four wins from eight games.
Earlier, veteran opener David Warner top scored for the Thunder with an unbeaten 88 off 66 balls in an innings that took time to get going.
The Thunder didn't hit a boundary until the fifth over and grafted to 3-85 after 13.
But they picked up the pace towards the back end, with Sam Billings contributing 28 from 15 balls.
Warner, who snapped his bat early on, looked more comfortable the longer he went and took the long handle to Ellis in a final over that went for 17.
Young gun Sam Konstas failed to fire for Sydney after a whirlwind two Tests against India and was out for four from nine balls, gloving a short ball from Riley Meredith.
Openers Mitchell Owen (13 off six) and Matthew Wade (13 off five) got Hobart off to a flying start in the chase. Wade even hit George Garton out of the ground.
The Hurricanes lost three wickets to keep Sydney in the hunt before David and Chris Jordan (18no off 13) steered them home.
