Melbourne Stars 8 for 169 (Stoinis 61, Maxwell 39, Sams 2-24, Sangha 2-26) beat Sydney Thunder 9 for 147 (Ferguson 54, Hales 46, Hatcher 3-28, Zampa 2-10) by 22 runs
Marcus Stoinis returned to his best with a blistering half-century and Adam Zampa returned remarkable figures of 2 for 10 from four overs as the Melbourne Stars announced themselves as one of the favourites for the BBL title with a second convincing win in two days, this time against the Sydney Thunder in Canberra.
Stoinis, coming off three ducks in his four previous innings, clubbed 61 from 37 balls to help set up a winning total on a slow, used, spinning pitch. Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell threatened to pile up a massive total but Maxwell's dismissal for 39 sparked a collapse, with the Stars losing 5 for 34. Australian Under-19 legspinner Tanveer Sangha took 2 for 26 on debut and held his nerve as Maxwell tried every trick in his arsenal. Daniel Sams closed out the innings taking 2 for 24.
The Thunder were always behind the rate in the chase despite a classy half-century from skipper Callum Ferguson. But with Zampa producing a mesmerising spell of legspin and Liam Hatcher claiming 3 for 28 in his first appearance for the Stars, the Thunder were always behind, even though Dilbar Hussain limped off with a hamstring injury.
Stoinis surges
Stoinis was the leading run-scorer in last year's BBL but his form leading into this game had been startling. In his last four innings across the IPL, ODI, T20I and BBL cricket, he had scored two golden ducks and a second-ball duck. But he made amends against the Thunder. Predictably, they attacked him with spin in the powerplay, and he answered with two fours and two sixes, launching Chris Green over mid-off twice. Stoinis hit the ball with extraordinary power throughout. He got Green again with a sublime flick through midwicket to bring up his 50 from just 29 balls. With the help of Maxwell, Stoinis pushed the Stars to 1 for 92 off the first ten overs.
Three new rules but no DRS
The implementation of the new rules in the BBL has caused much debate but there is no debate about the dire need for the DRS. The Stars fell victim to two critical lbw decisions that would have been overturned had the DRS been in place and it potentially cost them a score in excess of 180. Firstly, Andre Fletcher was given out lbw to 19-year-old debutant Tanveer Sangha in the fifth over, but the ball was clearly missing leg and Fletcher wanted to review before realising the DRS wasn't in place. Sangha bowled superbly taking 2 for 26 from his first four overs in the BBL. The second decision cost the Stars more dearly. Stoinis holed out in the 11th over for 61 but Maxwell held the key to the last ten overs and he took the Power Surge in the 14th over on a surface that was slowing by the minute. They lost Hilton Cartwright in the first over of the Power Surge but Maxwell's dismissal in the 15th saw the Stars' run rate hit a brick wall. He was given out lbw to Green, who was bowling around the wicket. There was no doubt it was hitting middle but it pitched just outside leg. The Stars lost 5 for 34 in the last 33 balls of the innings, with Ben Dunk the only player to find the boundary. Sams took two wickets in the final over but oddly only bowled three overs coming off his international debut for Australia.
Bad things come in threes
The Thunder's rub of the green with the ball was nullified with the bat as Usman Khawaja fell victim to another decision that would have been overturned had the DRS been in place. Khawaja tried to lap Hussain and was given out caught behind. The ball appeared to have come off the pad. It stalled the Thunder's momentum after Alex Hales had made a fast start. He and Ferguson faced 17 dot balls between them in the next 7.3 overs and the Thunder fell 24 runs short of the Power Boost point.
Ferguson fifty in vain
Hussain's injury left Maxwell with two overs to fill and Ferguson and Hales took advantage. They hammered 24 runs off Cartwright's first two overs, including two huge sixes. Hales holed out off Clint Hinchliffe for a laboured 46 off 41 but Ferguson kept rolling, reaching 50 from 33 balls with the Thunder needing a manageable 61 from 35 to win the game. But Ferguson holed out off Hatcher shortly after. Hatcher held his nerve in the critical overs that Hussain would have bowled. Maxwell turned to him in the first over of the Power Surge. He had two catches dropped off the first two balls of the 17th over but the substitute Tom O'Connell held on to the third to remove the dangerous Ben Cutting. Sams was caught at cover next ball to end Thunder hopes. Zampa, meanwhile, showed why he remains Australia's best T20 spinner, delivering 15 dot balls and not conceding a boundary.
