Stars stay alive in Super Over thriller

James Faulkner has steered Melbourne Stars to a remarkable super over triumph against Sydney Sixers in a tense KFC T20 Big Bash League contest at the MCG.

After both sides made 150, the teams returned for a six-ball decider, with the Stars's 19 enough to win the contest.

Watch: The two Super Overs in full

Two sixes down the ground off the bowling of Brett Lee made Faulkner the match-winner, enhancing his reputation as one of Australian cricket's finest closers.

John Hastings restricted the Sixers to just nine in reply, with two wickets sealing the win.

Nic Maddinson skied Hastings' second ball, only to be dropped by Kevin Pietersen and caught on a second effort by Cameron White.

The comedy catch was a neat piece of relief amidst late drama.

The Stars needed 16 off Lee's final regular innings over to win the contest.

Instead, Tasmanian pair Tom Triffitt and Faulkner managed 15, with the wicketkeeper finding 10 runs in the final three balls.

The Stars are indebted to the duo, who smashed 34 off the final three overs after their top order laboured in the chase.

Despite Kevin Pietersen's half century, the Stars sat behind the Sixers's modest total in reply.

It was a night for South African-born Englishman - the Sixers's Michael Lumb (80 off 61) outdid countryman Pietersen's 54 off 43.

But in the shortest form of cricket, the match came down to an even shorter decider.

Hastings said the Stars wanted to ride their success into Saturday's return derby with the Melbourne Renegades.

"How good was James Faulkner in that super over?" he asked Channel Ten.

"It's a really good win that ... we're here to play and hopefully our next game is just as good."

The win continued the Stars's recovery in BBL season four, after losing their first three matches.

The 10-run win backed up their record 112-run victory over their cross-town rivals last Saturday.

Conversely, the Sixers's campaign is now wobbling after a second straight defeat left them 3-2.

Sent in by Stars captain White, Lumb played a lone hand for much of the Sixers's innings.

With three sixes off an early Faulkner over, the 34-year-old raced to his half-century off 33 balls and out-scored the rest of his side.

A snail-paced knock from Jordan Silk was the only foil for Lumb - who became the season's highest scorer.

Scott Boland, who was the pick of the Stars's attack, removed Lumb on the way to the excellent figures of 2-19 off four overs.

Silk (37no) upped the ante in the final over, thrashing 14 to improve their total to credibility.

In reply, White (24) and Pietersen formed a strong partnership, with the Englishman delighting the crowd with boundaries off five straight overs.

Glenn Maxwell's dismissal (23) looked to leave the Stars short - until the late charge.

The loss didn't surprise Silk, who said the side would have liked "another 20, 30 runs" on a "beautiful batting wicket".

"We decelerated, mainly because of myself," he said.

Melbourne Stars (13-man squad): Cameron White (c), Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, John Hastings, David Hussey, Alex Keath, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Kevin Pietersen, Tom Triffit, Luke Wright.

Sydney Sixers (13-man squad): Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Ed Cowan, Ben Dwarshuis, Simon Keen, Brett Lee, Michael Lumb, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O’Keefe, Jordan Silk, Mitchell Starc, Riki Wessels.