- Stars 169-8 beat Thunder 147-9 by 22 runs
- Stoinis top scores with 61, Zampa takes 2-10
That’s two wins, and eight competition points, already for Melbourne Stars and the Big Bash League season is only three matches old.
Batting first, the Stars looked on course for a very big score on the platform laid by Marcus Stoinis (61 off 37 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (39 off 29 balls), but a collapse of sorts in the second part of their dig restricted the tally to 169-8.
"He’s been outstanding for a number of years now. And he’s just getting better and better"
@Gmaxi_32 on KFC Player of the Match Adam Zampa #BBL10pic.twitter.com/14WXJWbXOg
Outstanding final over from Zampa, who finishes with 2-10 from his four overs and was the standout performer in a good win for the Stars.
Big Bash League 2020-21
Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, 3rd Match
MLS 169/8 (20)
SYT 147/9 (20)
Melbourne Stars won by 22 runs.
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20th over: Sydney Thunder 145-9 chasing 170 (Cook 2, Sangha 0)
Now Holt goes chasing runs and Zampa is on a hat-trick, which doesn’t come but the Thunder run out of time and deliveries.
Zampa has been brilliant tonight and is fully deserving of a wicket, which comes as McAndrew tops one into the hands of the keeper.
19th over: Sydney Thunder 144-7 chasing 170 (McAndrew 6, Holt 0)
And now Green departs, finding the waiting hands of the substitute fielder at long-off. McAndrew helps himself to a boundary off a waist-high no-ball and some great fielding from Maxwell off the free hit turns a possible six into two runs. Twenty-six needed off the last over.
A Green single puts Ross on strike and it’s now-or-never time for the Thunder. The answer is most likely never as Ross slogs crudely into the hands of Hinchliffe at deep midwicket.
18th over: Sydney Thunder 134-5 chasing 170 (Ross 18, Green 2) Ross refuses to go down without a fight, flogging Stanlake for a six and a four before mistiming a slog that brings only a single. Green, now on strike, can’t match Ross’s bluster and the Thunder now need 36 from the last two overs to win.
17th over: Sydney Thunder 121-5 chasing 170 (Ross 7, Green 0)
And another catch! Sams comes and goes, meaning there were two drops and two catches in the space of four balls. Hatcher is on a hat-trick on debut but Green keeps him at bay.
The Thunder call for the Power Surge, so for the next two overs just two fielders will be permitted outside the circle. Cutting drives hard at Hatcher and Maxwell looks a chance at mid-off but puts down the one-handed chance. And then there is another dropped catch as Hinchliffe and Fletcher go for the same ball. Fletcher actually holds the chance but the ball bobbles out with the collision. And then, finally, the Stars hold a catch as Cutting picks out the substitute fielder at mid-on.
16th over: Sydney Thunder 118-3 chasing 170 (Ross 6, Cutting 1) Zampa returns and instantly gets tongues wagging with a ball that rips off the pitch and gains enormous bounce to beat Cutting - and almost the keeper! Marvelous bowling from Zampa. Just two singles from the over. Zampa is 0-7 from three overs, with 11 dots. Amazing.
15th over: Sydney Thunder 116-3 chasing 170 (Ross 5, Cutting 0) Ferguson nurdles a single to register his fifty (off 33 balls). Four more follow courtesy of a streaky thick edge off Hatcher but the Thunder skipper then departs as he miscues a drive and picks out Fletcher at deep extra cover. Good bowling from young Hatcher to claim his first Big Bash wicket.
Liam Hatcher with his first wicket in the @BBL, and it's a BIG one!
Ferguson caught in the deep for 54. Thunder need 54 from 30 with 7 wickets in hand. #TeamGreen#BBL10pic.twitter.com/bvrZf5FJ3e
14th over: Sydney Thunder 108-2 chasing 170 (Ferguson 49, Ross 3) Impressive stuff from Cartwright, full and wide outside off-stump and the batsmen just can’t get it away. Until, that is, Ferguson users his feet and turns the ball into a half-volley before spanking the ball over extra cover for six. Eleven from the over. And the Power Surge still to come.
13th over: Sydney Thunder 97-2 chasing 170 (Ferguson 40, Ross 1) A nice, breezy innings from Hales but it’s over before the job is done as he slog-sweeps Hinchliffe into the safe hands of Cartwright in the deep. Big wicket. Ross is the new batsman but the action comes from the other man as Ferguson cuts late for a deftly struck boundary.
12th over: Sydney Thunder 90-1 chasing 170 (Hales 46, Ferguson 34) Stanlake keeps it nice and tight with just two runs from his first four deliveries but his fifth ball is way too short, sitting up and inciting Ferguson to pull for four. The seamer overcorrects his line and length next ball as Ferguson edges wide of the keeper for another boundary.
11th over: Sydney Thunder 80-1 chasing 170 (Hales 45, Ferguson 25) Way to hit ‘em! First ball back after the intermission, Hales latches onto Cartwright and gives it enormous curry for a huge six over long-off. A can of Red Bull at drinks? A succession of ones and a two follow in a good response from the bowler. They’ve got it to do on the runs front, the Thunder, but with only one wicket down they’ll fancy their chances.
10th over: Sydney Thunder 68-1 chasing 170 (Hales 37, Ferguson 21) The Thunder need 33 runs from this over to claim the Bash Boost and the bonus point that goes with it. Not likely. A series of dot balls, in amongst a couple of wides, amounts to a good over from Hatcher and the Sydney team fall well short. If The Stars go on to win this match, they’ll collect four competition points for their troubles. Time for drinks.
Hales and Ferguson keep Thunder on top at half stage. #BBL10pic.twitter.com/uqVvN4kXbK
9th over: Sydney Thunder 60-1 chasing 170 (Hales 34, Ferguson 18) Ripper of a yorker from Hussain demands Hales’s defensive best. Hales then mistimes a pull shot and is fortunate to survive as the ball zooms past off. The paceman looks to be struggling with an injury to his left leg, however. And Hussain is done, leaving the field with one ball left in his over. Cartwright on for a one-ball spell - and he almost gets a wicket as Ferguson’s leading edge lands just wide of mid-off.
8th over: Sydney Thunder 55-1 chasing 170 (Hales 33, Ferguson 14) Zampa returns. They’re really skidding through with great revs and the batsmen don’t know what quite to do. Not sure whether to go forward or back. Hales is in good touch but Zampa is quelling his momentum. Just four singles from the over. Good job, Adam.
7th over: Sydney Thunder 51-1 chasing 170 (Hales 31, Ferguson 12) Hatcher on now. But it’s Hales who’s hatching a plan as he plants the front foot and launches one right out of the middle for a six over midwicket. Massive blow. Beautiful timing. But a good comeback from the young seamer to go wide of off as Hales gives himself room outside leg and just a single comes from the last three balls of the over.
Hales doesn't mind a long bomb! #BBL10 live: https://t.co/XrFGLhrnvTpic.twitter.com/tJXSBdKd8o
6th over: Sydney Thunder 42-1 chasing 170 (Hales 23, Ferguson 11) Zampa is introduced into the attack in what is sure to be a pivotal spell in the match. He starts with five dots, the second of which beats Hales and leads to a stumping appeal. Not out. One run from the over. An excellent offering from a very, very good white-ball spinner.
5th over: Sydney Thunder 41-1 chasing 170 (Hales 22, Ferguson 11) Hinchliffe into the attack to take some pace off the ball. The left-armer is too short at that speed and he invites Hales to rock back and pull for four. The batsman tries the same shot later in the over but a bottom edge for one is the best he can do before Ferguson gets in the zone off the last ball for four more.
4th over: Sydney Thunder 30-1 chasing 170 (Hales 16, Ferguson 6) Another over from Stanlake. Two dot balls is a good start to the over - and three singles and another dot is a brilliant way to end it (and the Power Play). Advantage to the Stars.
3rd over: Sydney Thunder 27-1 chasing 170 (Hales 14, Ferguson 5) Hussain begins with a loose wide down the leg-side but strikes next ball. It’s an absolutely horrendous decision, however, as Khawaja is adjudged caught behind despite his messy attempted ramp shot getting nowhere near the ball. Looked like bat on pad or thigh pad. DRS, anyone? Ferguson in now, and he gets cranking with a boundary over midwicket.
2nd over: Sydney Thunder 20-0 chasing 170 (Hales 13, Khawaja 7) Ouch. Khawaja misjudges the length of one from Stanlake and wears it on the wrist. A delay follows while he receives attention but no damage done as the very next delivery goes for four down the ground. Hales then beats short fine-leg for four and that’s how you cash in on the Power Play.
1st over: Sydney Thunder 11-0 chasing 170 (Hales 9, Khawaja 2) Maxwell takes the new ball for the Stars. Both openers are watchful to begin with before Hales launches high to deep midwicket, where Cartwright takes a brilliant left-handed catch but concedes four runs as he tosses the ball back onto his boot as momentum takes him over the rope. Another boundary ends the over and that’s rough for the fielding side.
That was almost an epic catch from Cartwright! #BBL10 live: https://t.co/XrFGLhrnvTpic.twitter.com/Qhh3teliBk
A decent total on the face of it but the Stars blew it in the second part of their dig. They looked on course for at least 180, maybe somewhere in excess of 190, but with the departure of Glenn Maxwell for 39 in the 15th over the Stars went on to lose five wickets for 34 runs and with it all momentum. Marcus Stoinis was great at the top of the order, scoring 61 off 37 balls, but his exit and that of Maxwell played into the hands of the Thunder. The Stars scored 41 runs without loss in the Power Play but lose two wickets in the Power Surge in overs 14-15 for not many runs. A nice debut from teenage leggie Tanveer Sangha, who returned 2-26 from his four overs.
Big Bash League 2020-21
Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, 3rd Match
MLS 169/8 (20) - Innings Break.
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20th over: Melbourne Stars 169-8 (Hatcher 2, Stanlake 1) More straight, full, brilliant bowling from Sams and this time Zampa is castled attempting an ambitious scoop.
Larkin eyes the seats over the deep midwicket fence but falls prey to a slow-ball yorker from Sams that crashes his stumps. Excellent death bowling.
19th over: Melbourne Stars 166-6 (Larkin 15, Zampa 3)
Green strikes again as Hinchliffe plays around a straight full-toss and is plumb. Excellent over. Four from it.
18th over: Melbourne Stars 162-5 (Larkin 14, Hinchliffe 1)
Another wicket for Sangha! Dunk goes high and long but Green judges a nice catch near the rope to continue this squeeze on the Stars’ innings. Threes, twos and ones follow in the over but Sangha continues his impressive debut.
17th over: Melbourne Stars 153-4 (Dunk 16, Larkin 6) Cook tosses one up. Dunk’s eyes light up, it’s a wild swing and although Hales gets a hand on it at deep midwicket, six runs is the result. Big hit.
16th over: Melbourne Stars 141-4 (Dunk 7, Larkin 5) Sangha returns and he keeps it tight, belying his experience in the 16th over of a T20 match. Just six runs from the over and this has been a good few over for the Thunder.
15th over: Melbourne Stars 135-4 (Dunk 4, Larkin 2) Second over of the Power Surge. Green’s been costly today but now he strikes a blow with the big wicket of Maxwell, trapping the batsman on the crease one delivery after being reverse swept to the fence. Two new batsmen at the crease. Two wickets in the Power Surge. Well played, Thunder.
That's a huge moment in this match! #BBL10 live: https://t.co/XrFGLhrnvTpic.twitter.com/5ALsC1ezte
14th over: Melbourne Stars 126-3 (Maxwell 35, Dunk 1) Power Surge on - there are no fielders outside the circle on the off-side - and McAndrew starts with a leg-side wide before tempting Cartwright with a similar, though straighter, ball that he hoicks down the throat of Cook at fine-leg. Just two fielders farther than 30 metres from the middle and Cartwright finds one. I guess that’s the Power Surge for you. It’s a tease, a false sense of security for the batsmen.
Maybe not quite as he drew it up, but this boundary gets @Gmaxi_32 into the BKT Golden Cap! @BKTtires | #BBL10pic.twitter.com/JG3dQ4uESn
13th over: Melbourne Stars 116-2 (Maxwell 29, Cartwright 9) Sams back on. Maxwell wants a piece of the left-armer but he can’t quite get him to, or over, the rope. A good over that contained three straight dot balls ends up a not-so-good over as Cartwright stands and delivers a brutal blow over the long-on fence. The Power Surge has now been called for the next two overs.
12th over: Melbourne Stars 107-2 (Maxwell 26, Cartwright 3) McAndrew catches Maxwell on the hip - and then the batsman’s outside edge and is a bit unlucky as the ball spears through the vacant first-slip region for four. Maxwell really is in the wars, wearing a throw from the deep on the wrist as he scurries through for a second run.
11th over: Melbourne Stars 98-2 (Maxwell 20, Cartwright 0) The X-factor is not a factor in this innings. Cook on for his third over. The batsmen continue to trade in ones and twos - and a very wide wide from the bowler - before Stoinis goes for one big hit too many and miscues one to Sams, who runs in from deep extra cover and takes a nice catch low to the ground. Good dig, but Stoinis will have wanted to cash in. Big wicket for the Thunder.
10th over: Melbourne Stars 92-1 (Stoinis 58, Maxwell 18) Cutting on now. The added pace does a reasonable job at stemming the flow of runs but ones and twos come with relative ease. Time for drinks.
Nothing new here. Marcus Stoinis has his first half-century of #BBL10pic.twitter.com/qQ6rYOF1Mq
9th over: Melbourne Stars 86-1 (Stoinis 54, Maxwell 16) More spin from Sangha. Maxwell helps himself to a boundary then gets cramped up and butchers an attempted reverse sweep. He’s lucky to survive as the ball ricochets off the bat and just misses the stumps. Not a bad over from the debutant.
8th over: Melbourne Stars 79-1 (Stoinis 53, Maxwell 11) Green returns after that memorable (forgettable?) first over. Some nice sweeping by Ross saves two runs but more twos follow. The Stars are fairly well milking runs here. Excellent running between the wickets is helping their cause. Stoinis brings up his half-century (off 29 balls) with a clip through midwicket for four. Twelve from the over and Maxwell is yet to go large.
7th over: Melbourne Stars 67-1 (Stoinis 46, Maxwell 6) Stoinis chips Cook over extra cover for two. Maxwell just can’t get on strike it seems. But a single changes that and here we go. The field retreats and there are twos aplenty in the deep.
6th over: Melbourne Stars 59-1 (Stoinis 42, Maxwell 2) McAndrew breaks the mould of the innings by bowling successive overs. Stoinis stays in his mould, crunching the seamer wide of mid-off for a cracking four. The opening bat is in great touch. Though as I type that he mishits one that just clears the hands of mid-off. Four runs is still the result, despite some desperate fielding on the rope.
noice #BBL10pic.twitter.com/2pEc5GmiEC
5th over: Melbourne Stars 46-1 (Stoinis 31, Maxwell 1)
A banger from Sangha does for Fletcher, though it’s quite possible the ball may have been missing leg. Fletcher comically hangs around pondering a review that just isn’t there for the asking. On your way, sir. A wicket in Sangha’s first BBL over. Dreams are made of this. In comes Maxwell. Gulp.
The debutant has struck in his first over. Fletcher is not happy with the decision and there are no reviews as well to challenge the call.
MLS 41/1 (4.3) #BBL10https://t.co/BzgRU9QnUD#TeamGreen#ThunderNation@BBL@StarsBBL@ThunderBBLpic.twitter.com/DTaLr1xMXR
4th over: Melbourne Stars 41-0 (Stoinis 29, Fletcher 12) McAndrew catches Stoinis on the right hip. The batsman is clearly in pain and next ball misses one that almost takes his off-stump. A run of five successive dot balls is broken at the end of the over by another Stoinis boundary.
3rd over: Melbourne Stars 37-0 (Stoinis 25, Fletcher 12) Green replaces Cook but the lack of pace is the same. And it’s all the same to Stoinis, who goes berserk with a four and six in successive balls over mid-off. Green then goes around the wicket. He drops another straight drive from Stoinis but in truth is lucky to escape in one piece. The ball went to him like a rocket. Another boundary follows and it’s a pretty awful over. Seventeen from it. All scored by Stoinis.
2nd over: Melbourne Stars 20-0 (Stoinis 8, Fletcher 12) Fletcher welcomes Sams to the attack with a boundary crunched through the covers. Effortless grace. He barely touched it. Stoinis then regains the strike after hurrying his partner through for a quick single, and another single follows before Fletcher opens the face of the blade and smashes Sams backward of point for a big six.
Here’s that Stoinis spank to get off the mark.
last night, a 6️⃣ to get off the mark today! @MStoinis ain't messing around #BBL10pic.twitter.com/oXJGeH4lEh
1st over: Melbourne Stars 8-0 (Stoinis 7, Fletcher 1) Cook opens the bowling for the Thunder. Stoinis takes face. Two dot ball to start with but then Stoinis goes bang with a muscular straight drive that flies over the bowler’s head for six. A single then hands the strike to Fletcher, who nurdles a single to get off the mark.
Not far from a start here. Just a couple of minutes. Stoinis and Fletcher to get things under way with the bat for the Stars. Sit tight.
Breaking news 2.0: Sharma set to join India Test squad
Hamstrung veteran Rohit Sharma is expected to link up with India’s Test squad for the second half of their series against Australia.
Sharma’s fitness and rumours about his relationship with both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and captain Virat Kohli have been an intriguing subplot on the current tour.
Looking forward to seeing what Tanveer Sangha can do with the ball.
2⃣ @BBL debuts for 2⃣ of our Blues squad #BBL10pic.twitter.com/qlshfW4jFc
If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with a smile on your dial.
All smiles at Manuka Oval #ThunderNation#BBL10pic.twitter.com/87PEQZXcd8
Breaking news: Pucovski out, Harris in
Will Pucovski has been ruled out of the first Test against India due to concussion.
Australia officials on Saturday afternoon made the call to pull Pucovski out of the Test after his ninth career concussion, replacing him with Marcus Harris in the squad.
Sydney Thunder: Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson (c), Alex Ross, Baxter Holt (w), Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Jonathon Cook, Tanveer Sangha
X-Factor subs: Arjun Nair, Chris Tremain
Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis, Andre Fletcher, Hilton Cartwright, Glenn Maxwell (c), Nick Larkin, Ben Dunk (w), Clinton Hinchliffe, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Dilbar Hussain
X-Factor subs: Lance Morris, Seb Gotch
Fair to say this is a different kind of warm up for the Stars. Liam Hatcher under the lid and hopefully not set to be ruled out of this game through concussion (he’s in for Nathan Coulter-Nile). #BBL10pic.twitter.com/mxLVEvMtqy
Top of the afternoon. In a summer of wall-to-wall coronavirus-conscious cricket there is no rest for the wicked. The Stars are obviously the competition’s early bad boys, backing up today as they are after last night’s win over Brisbane Heat.
And it was a heck of a win, restricting the Heat to just 125 - Nathan Coulter-Nile (4-10), take a bow - en route to a most comfortable six-wicket win. There wasn’t even a ‘Bash Boost’ point for Brisbane, so it all amounted to a wretched trip to the nation’s capital.
Time to fit Nathan Coulter-Nile for a @BKTtires Golden Cap.
4-10, + two run-outs! #BBL10pic.twitter.com/ZBjF7Zd5mx