Hobart Hurricanes sensation D'Arcy Short bludgeoned the highest score in Big Bash League history as Brisbane Heat were beaten by three runs in a thriller at the Gabba.

Short has been dismissed twice in the 90s in the BBL this month, but was not to be denied a century on Wednesday, smashing a staggering 122 not out only from only 69 balls to get the Hurricanes up to 179-4 and stake a strong claim for an Australia call-up.

The opener, dropped by Joe Burns on 60, also become only the second player to score over 400 runs in a BBL tournament after surpassing the previous record of 117, set by Luke Wright six years ago.

Short then dismissed top scorer Sam Heazlett for 45, finishing with figures of 1-20 as the Heat fell just short on 176-8 in their run chase, Alex Ross controversially becoming the first player to be given out obstructing the field in the BBL.

The Hurricanes have now won four in a row to sit fifth in the ladder, level on points with the Heat with a game in hand.

BRUTAL SHORT GOES BIG

Short's purple patch shows no sign of ending and the Heat bowlers felt the force of the left-hander in an astonishing exhibition of clean hitting. 

The 27-year-old was starved of the strike early in the innings, but sent Mark Steketee for three consecutive boundaries in the fifth over and dispatched Brendan Doggett for back-to-back sixes in the next.

Short brought up his 50 off 29 balls and raced to a hundred off only 63 deliveries after Burns failed to hold on to a skier, going on to blast the expensive Steketee (2-51) for three sixes in a row in the last over.

He cleared the ropes eight times, also hitting as many fours in a savage knock and an Australia call cannot be far away, particularly after Chris Lynn's latest injury setback.

ROUGH CALL FOR ROSS?

Heazlett and Brendon McCullum got the Heat off to a promising start in their chase, putting on 63 for the first wicket in 6.3 overs before the impressive Cameron Boyce removed the skipper.

Man-of-the-moment Short showed his ability with ball in hand by trapping Heazlett leg before, but it was the dismissal of Ross which was a major talking point.

The third umpire ruled that Ross intentionally got in the way of Jofra Archer's throw when diving into his ground for a second run, a decision which did not go down well with the locals with the game finely poised.

ARCHER AS COOL AS THEY COME, CHRISTIAN FAITH PAYS OFF

Archer has been a revelation in his maiden BBL season and the Barbados-born all-rounder was in the thick of the action again.

The 22-year-old casually plucked a stunning return catch when the dangerous Ben Cutting drilled a straight drive which was heading for the boundary and took another two catches, as well as playing his part in Ross' contentious dismissal.

Dan Christian held his nerve with the pressure on at the death, recovering after bowling a wide with the first ball a last over which cost only nine runs.