The Melbourne Stars have completed the most remarkable mid-season turnaround in BBL history, dispatching ladder-leaders the Hobart Hurricanes by 40 runs to seal their spot in the finals series.
Dead last on the ladder and seemingly shot with a 0-5 record at the end of 2024, the Stars needed to win every one of their final five games – and have other results go their way – to have any chance of sneaking into the final four.
But in front of a 32,360-strong crowd at the MCG, another stunning onslaught from Glenn Maxwell, plus a half-century from Test hero Beau Webster, helped complete the comeback by securing their fifth win on the trot against a Hurricanes outfit with bigger fish to fry.
Blasting five sixes, Maxwell’s unbeaten 76 off just 32 balls, his third consecutive BBL half-century, was the catalyst in a monster Stars score of 5/219 – the franchise’s equal-second best ever score.
Webster (51 off 31) provided valuable support in his final game in green before heading to Sri Lanka as part of Australia’s Test squad – an honour controversially denied to Maxwell.
The result sees the Stars finish fourth on the table, setting up an Eliminator final clash with David Warner’s Sydney Thunder on Wednesday, while the Perth Scorchers, who gave themselves a fighting chance of finals after dispatching the Adelaide Strikers on Saturday night, miss out for just the third time in their history.
The Stars, meanwhile, earned a finals berth for the first time since the 2019/20 season, ending a run of four straight bottom-three finishes for the success-starved franchise – and having defeated fellow finalists the Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers during their winning streak, will fancy their chances of continuing their form surge.
Maxwell added 70 with Webster off just 50 balls as the star pair exploded through the Power Surge, while 41 came from the final 16 balls as Maxwell dismantled Hurricanes inclusion Cameron Gannon (0/48) and second-game quick Marcus Bean (1/45).
With the ball, an early trio of wickets from Mark Steketee, whose addition to the team has perfectly coincided with the Stars’ rise, put a power-packed Hurricanes outfit immediately on the back foot despite an early blitz from in-form opener Mitch Owen.
Captain Marcus Stoinis’ stunning catch running back with the flight at mid-on to remove the dangerous Caleb Jewell in the second over of the run chase all but confirmed it was to be the Stars’ night, while only a late cameo from Nathan Ellis (40 off 22) kept the scoreline respectable.
In truth, though, the Hurricanes had nothing to play for, having already sewn up top spot on the BBL ladder heading into the match; with their Qualifier final against the Sixers scheduled for Tuesday, self-preservation was the order of the day from the moment star quick Riley Meredith was rested out of the match.
Captain Ellis, the Hurricanes’ premier bowler, sent down just one over – including none in his usual death overs role – while several sloppy moments in the field had their performance deemed as ‘conservation mode’ by Channel 7 commentator and former great Brad Hodge.
“Trying to nurse their way through to the finals,” he added.
“[Chris] Jordan, Ben McDermott’s also come back from injury, Meredith resting tonight.”
The Stars face the Thunder in Sydney on Wednesday evening, with the winner to face the loser of the Hurricanes-Sixers clash on Friday.
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Ben McDermott, take a bow! The Sixers were reeling at 3/5 in the Qualifier after this beauty.
Ben Dwarshuis gave up a boundary with this misfield - will it come back to bite the Sixers?
Jack Edwards, that is ridiculous!
Mitch Owen was providing catching practice for the fans in Hobart - but this supporter blew his chance in hilarious fashion.
Maxi not overly sold on Mitch Owen just yet!
