Mitchell Owen was challenged to a KFC eating contest by another cricket great on Monday night after his insane feats leading the Hobart Hurricanes to their first-ever Big Bash League victory.
In front of a raucaus home crowd at the Ninja Stadium Owen propelled the the Tasmania side to a seve-wicket victory against the Syndey Thunder, hitting a sensational 108 off 42 balls.
He broke multiple records during the match, smashing an astonishing 11 sixes – the most an individual player has ever hit during a big bash final and matching Craig Simmons’ record for the fastest BBL century ever struck.
Simmons had set the record back in 2014 while playing for the Adelaide Strikers, amassing 100 runs after facing just 39 balls.
But after Owen matched his epic feats earlier this evening, Simmons took to social media to lump praise on the 23-year-old Hobart star, while even challenging him to an eating contest.
‘Serious knock by big boy Owen,’ Simmons wrote.
MItch Owen starred as his incredible 100 during the Big Bash final led Hobart Hurricanes to a sensational victory against the Sydney Thunder on Monday
The Hobart star matched Craig Simmons’s record for the fastest 100 in Big Bash history, hitting his ton in 39 balls and he was challenged it to a KFC ‘eat off’
Owen said it was an ‘amazing feeling’ to hit the century, after he struck a whopping 11 sixes during the match
‘A great 100 in a final. Nice to have another member in the sub 40 ball 100 club.
The former Strikers star added: ‘Maybe we can take that player of the match KFC voucher and settle it over an eat off.’
With Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott closing out the match, jubilant scenes erupted around the Ninja Stadium at the end of the match.
‘It’s an amazing feeling,’ Owen said. ‘I was doing what I’ve tried to do all competition – get us off to a good start so we could take it easy in the middle and thankfully I came off.’
Owen had taken just 16 balls to complete his half-century too, with Mark Waugh claiming that Australia’s selectors should be keeping a watchful eye on the young star.
‘This is as good as hitting as you will ever see from anyone at any time in the history of cricket,’ Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
‘They have no answer tonight. Everything the Thunder has tried, he has been able to whack it out of the ground.’
He added: ‘The Australian selectors would have to be taking notice of Mitch Owen’s batting in this tournament.
