Melbourne Stars register first BBL 14 win after six games
Melbourne Stars have finally opened their account in Big Bash League 14. It took Marcus Stoinis and his men six games to register their first win of the season. The Stars defeated the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba in a match completely dominated by the team in green.
Melbourne Stars blows for the Heat
Stoinis chose to bowl, and his bowlers took advantage of the pitch’s early help. Joel Paris and Mark Steketee, along with the experienced Peter Siddle, reduced the home team to 39 for four in 7.1 overs. These were worrying signs for the Heat, but they still had 3-4 batters who were capable enough to take the side to a respectable total.
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The Max Bryant show
Max Bryant has dropped his place in the Heat line-up. He started as an opener but has recently dropped down to the middle order. The powerful ball hitter stepped up for Brisbane in this match. With wickets falling at the other end, Bryant scored 77 of just 48 balls. He smashed six sixes and took Brisbane Heat to 149 runs for the loss of seven wickets.
Stars lose three in the Powerplay
Brisbane Heat have Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson as their opening bowlers. The young Aussie duo was a menace for the Stars’ openers. They were 14 for three in 3.1 overs. Bartlett took two wickets, including the English opener, Ben Duckett.
Stoinis & Lawrence – The game changers
Marcus Stoinis joined Dan Lawrence in the middle. The duo took some time to settle. They then launched a counter-attack at the bowlers. These two added 132 runs in the next 14 overs. This partnership won the match for the Stars.
Stoinis was dismissed on 62 by Bartlett, who took Maxwell on the next ball. The Aussie quickly finished with four wickets in his four and also gave just 10 runs. Lawrence took the team over the line with an unbeaten knock of 64 runs. Melbourne Stars won their first game after eight matches. Heat, on the other hand, have lost three in a row after winning the first two. They will be eyeing for a comeback in their next match against the Sixers.
Hurricanes dominate Sixers
Earlier in the day, Hobart Hurricanes enjoyed an easy win over Sydney Sixers at Bellerive Oval. This win took them into the top four. Sixers suffered their first defeat of the campaign but remain at the top of the table.
Batting first, the Hurricanes scored 161 runs for the loss of six wickets. Mitchell Owen, Ben McDermott, and Nikhil Chaudhary scored 30+ runs to take their side to a decent total. Jackson Bird grabbed four wickets and stopped the scoring momentum to keep his side in the game.
The home team read the conditions well and bowled out the opposition for 111 runs in 19.3 overs. The pacers combined with the spinners to stop the Sixers’ batsman. Chris Jordan took three wickets. Hobart won their third game in a row and are looking good in the competition.
