Jofra Archer's Hobart Hurricanes suffered a rare Big Bash defeat, but victory was not enough for Sydney Thunder to secure a top-four place.
Top-of-the-table Hurricanes posted a challenging 165 for four as George Bailey – run out from the last ball of the innings by England's Chris Jordan for 53 – Matthew Wade (45) and Ben McDermott (44 not out) all impressed with the bat.
Archer, the Barbados-born fast bowler who is due to qualify for England within a matter of weeks, bowled the dangerous Callum Ferguson for 47 in his 20-ball spell of one for 22.
Chris Green (34 not out) and Pat Cummins (10 not out) saw the hosts home by four wickets, but Thunder fell short of a finals berth with Brisbane Heat edging them out on a better net run rate.
Adelaide Strikers condemned the Perth Scorchers to a bottom-placed finish with a five-wicket home win.
Jono Wells' 69 from 42 balls guided the Strikers past the Scorchers' 174 for six with four deliveries to spare.
There were worrying scenes at the end of the game when the Scorchers' Australian international Nathan Coulter-Nile called for medical assistance and sat on the turf before walking off the field.
Cricket Australia's media account later tweeted that paceman Coulter-Nile had suffered a bout of vertigo and that he had been taken to hospital as a precaution.
