Opting to bowl first, Melbourne Stars got off to the perfect start on a slow grippy track as Tom Curran, bowling the opening over for the first time in his BBL career, dispatched the in-form David Warner for a silver duck. However, Matthew Gilkes took over the role of powerplay enforcer — either side of a brief lightning interruption that curtailed the game to 19 overs per side — to take the score up to 31/1 at the end of four overs, even while Hugh Weibgen struggled to get going at the other end. The opener ultimately succumbed to Usama Mir for a run-a-ball 11 and once Gilkes followed suit after an 18-ball 28 featuring three boundaries and a maximum, the situation was ripe for a collapse. Sam Billings and Oliver Davies ensured no such scenarios arise with anchoring knocks of 24(25) and 36(35) respectively but the latter could not capitalize on the Power Surge that begot just 14 runs at the cost of two wickets, and it took some late hits from Nathan McAndrew and Tom Andrews to post a competitive 135/7 on the board.
The Thunder responded with an early breakthrough of their own courtesy of a McAndrew inducker that castled Sam Harper all hands up and the quick followed it up with Thomas Rogers’ scalp in the next over to leave the Stars reeling at 26/2 at the end of the powerplay. Andrews added salt to injury by trapping Peter Handscomb in front after a strugglesome 15-ball 11, causing Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell to join forces with an uphill chase staring in their face. The duo added 38 runs in 33 balls but just when the stage was set to accelarate, spin duo Green and Sangha sent the pair back to the dugout respectively with the score 68/5 after 11.2 overs. Sangha added Curran to his collection on the very next ball and the Stars’ fate was thus effetcively sealed as despite an 18-run Mark Steketee cameo, they fell 21 short of the target.
Bahahaha Melbourne stars are a joke #BBL14
— big damo (@eagleofberwick) January 22, 2025
Bang! 💥
Don’t bowl there to Glenn Maxwell- he’ll make you pay! 😎🔥
The Big Show showing why he’s a game-changer in the BBL!
#BBL14 #GlennMaxwell #Cricket pic.twitter.com/0vMIz3opFq— Ganesh 🇮🇳 (@GaneshVerse) January 22, 2025
Superb right!
Yeah Dude
@RickyPonting commentary is worth the listening. He his completely spot on #BBL14
— sreekar 💰 (@nyalkalkars27) January 22, 2025
“Maxwell can win this on his own” – Jimmy Smith.
Stars are 4-67 with 11 overs gone here at ENGIE Stadium.
📲 https://t.co/u9LefIocER
📷 https://t.co/muW5k8Gttv#BBL14— SEN Cricket (@SEN_Cricket) January 22, 2025
dnt Knw bro!
How come the tail end bats (read bowlers) bat better than the top end? #BBL14
— Jan (@bimmyjartel) January 22, 2025
Simple to chase!
2 overs left need 24 runs#BBL14 @StarsBBL or @ThunderBBL to Challenger? https://t.co/3R2cZ2YiMy
— Bhuvi&SRH🧡 (@RamaLakshma21) January 22, 2025
The pitch is that slow, you could make a cup of tea in the time Chris Green gets the ball to pitch and it passes the bat. Hasn’t made for great T20 cricket as we know it, but it’s led to an engrossing final. Don’t mind it. #BBL14
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) January 22, 2025
😂
Sometime !
lol Melbourne Stars. What a constantly disappointing franchise given the talented players they’ve had throughout their existence #BBL14
— feliz navidud (@DesignedToFade) January 22, 2025
