Cool headed Tim Paine remained unbeaten on a brilliant 74 from only 57 balls as Hobart crashed past Perth's tally on a bitterly chilly night at Blundstone Arena.
Hobart won the clash with an over to spare to leap-frog into a three-way share of top spot on the Big Bash ladder with Melbourne rivals Stars and Renegades.
The Hurricanes were set a run-rate of 7.75 to win the match when Perth managed only 8-152 after winning the toss and deciding to bat first.
Ponting and the classy Paine laid a solid foundation for a crusing win before veteran limited-overs spin specialist Brad Hogg soured the home town party.
Perth started poorly with two early wickets inside the opening four overs and also 5-11 in just the last two overs of their allotted 20.
Hobart looked set for a comfortable victory on the back of a 90-run stand between Paine and Ponting, when the recently retired international batting sensation was out for 34 from 26 balls.
The potential future national leader and immediate past Australian skipper scooted along almost untroubled before the energetic Hogg struck to crash his troops back into contention.
Hogg, 41, snatched three vital wickets in his four overs and his last scalp was imported Hobart all-rounder Owis Shah in the 16th of the home side's run-chase.
Hogg, who is a two-time World Cup 50-50 winning player and Australian T20 regular, finished with 3-17 form his limit of four overs.
Hogg sent Ponting packing with a scooped sweep shot to short-fine-leg where Michael Beer was waiting to take a simple catch and then big-hitting Travis Birt was trapped leg-before-wicket to a scooter from the left-arm spin specialist with the next ball.
Perth captain Simon Katich resurrected his side's innings with a sparkling 66 from just 41 balls.
Katich shared innings-salvaging partnerships of 69 with Marcus North (27) and then another half-century from just 28 balls with Adam Voges (35) to rebuild Perth's hopes.
The defining over of Perth's revival attempts was probably sent down from gangly right-wrm seamer Ben Laughlin when he sent Voges and Katich packing in his fourth and final over and the 19th of the Scorchers' innings.
The big seamer, with the difficult to play yorker spearing into the base of the stumps his most potent weapon, had Voges caught at mid-off attempting a big hit and then bowled Katich with the fifth ball of the penultimate over.
Perth's innings started disastrously with gun openers Shaun Marsh and Herschell Gibbs both out with just 10 runs on the board, just one ball into the fourth over.
Gibbs was bundled out of the game to just the third ball of the innings from left-hand finger spinner Xavier Doherty and then Marsh chopped a fiery Doug Bollinger delivery onto his leg stump.
Marsh, who smacked a match-winning 85 against Melbourne Renegades in Perth last Saturday night, was troubled by a nasty whack on the left thumb from the second ball he faced from Bollinger in the second over.
The former Test number three has just recovered from a nagging hamstring injury and his thumb problem will be assessed with scans ahead of Perth's home clash with bottom side Sydney Thunder at the WACA on Friday, January 4.
Big Bash tournament points.
Melbourne Stars: Five games, four wins, 8 points.
Melbourne Renegades: Five games, four wins, 8 points.
Hobart Hurricanes: Six games, four wins, 8 points
Adelaide Strikers: Five games, three wins, 6 points.
Perth Scorchers: Six games, three wins, 6 points
Brisbane Heat: Five games, two wins, four points
Sydney Sixers: Six games, two wins, four points.
Sydney Thunder: Six games, no wins, no points.