Rauf and Maxwell help Stars overpower Renegades in Melbourne derby
The six-wicket defeat meant Renegades tumbled to the bottom of the BBL table
The six-wicket defeat meant Renegades tumbled to the bottom of the BBL table
Commentator: @PeterDellaPenna
10.32 pm Maxwell sends everyone home a half-hour earlier than anticipated from the start of the night. Renegades batting unit made the pitch look far more challenging than it was in reality and Maxwell emphasizes that point by clobbering an impressive and unbeaten half-century to seal an easy win.
Glenn Maxwell, unsurprisingly the Player of the Match: "It was a lot of emotions there. We've had a pretty tough time for the last two weeks. We still feel like we're a chance to play this finals and have a say in who wins this trophy at the end of the tournament. I'm pretty cooked. The last week certainly took it out of me. It takes you awhile to get your full fitness back. It's the first time I'm back doing a lot of exercise where it's nice and warm. I seem to have always played nicely here. I feel like I've been batting really well this tournament. I've been going a bit too hard early but tonight I gave myself a bit more time. Hopefully it sets me up well at the back end of the tournament. The quicks set it up for the spinners. The way that Haris Rauf, Sam Rainbird and Brody Couch started, we had them under pressure before we used our spinners whereas in the past when spinners have come on, they've had too much to do."
That's it for us tonight. Come back tomorrow when we have a very early start in Adelaide for the Friday doubleheader. Until then, I'm Peter Della Penna. Take care!
Zahir left-arm wristspin around the stumps.
17 runs in the second over of the surge, all by Maxwell. Target now just 10 runs away.
The six-wicket defeat meant Renegades tumbled to the bottom of the BBL table