Derby victory moves Stars to third on BBL table

The scores: Melbourne Renegades 150 all out (Harper 63; Hatcher 3-29) lost to Melbourne Stars 4-153 (Stoinis 43, Larkin 42) by six wickets with five balls to spare at the MCG

The match in a tweet: Stars limp home to rise to third spot with another horror Renegades collapse decisive in seeing men in green claim bragging rights from first #BBL10 Melbourne derby 

The points: Stars 3, Renegades 1

The heroes: Nic Maddinson (20no from 15 balls) hit a straight six from the first ball of Imad Wasim’s final over as he and Hilton Cartwright (12 off six) kept their nerve following a late stutter that marred what should have been a straightforward run chase.

The Stars had flirted with a repeat of their nightmare BBL|08 final flop at the hands of the Renegades after Beau Webster (0-8 off two overs) bowled off-spin and medium pace in an unlikely containing effort and Kane Richardson (2-24 from four) reaped the rewards with two crucial late wickets.

But the Stars’ victory ultimately came on the back of a disciplined bowling effort that had prompted a devastating Renegades collapse (more on that below) and a solid top-order showing by Marcus Stoinis and Nick Larkin. Stoinis, who earlier made his long-awaited return to the bowling crease but was limited to a single over, bashed a pair of sixes following a briefly entertaining duel with regular sparring partner Richardson in the Powerplay.

Larkin and Glenn Maxwell could not quite clinch the Bash Boost point that would have lifted the Stars into second spot as Richardson removed both in a brilliant late spell that brought the Gades back into the match. But Maddinson and Larkin saved the Stars blushes in getting them home with five balls to spare.

The collapse: At 3-120 with more than five overs to come and young guns Sam Harper and Mackenzie Harvey fearlessly taking the game to the Stars, the Renegades were looking the goods.

Not half an hour later, they were bowled out for 150 in the final over of their innings. Liam Hatcher and wrist-spinning duo Adam Zampa and Zahir Khan bowled well, but the reigning wooden-spooners truly only had themselves to blame.

The promising start and the ensuing collapse of 7-30 has been typical of their miserable season to date. They remain rooted to the bottom of the BBL standings and, with the seventh-placed Hobart Hurricanes nine points adrift, another bottom-placed finish appears likely.

The slump: There’s no two ways about it, Aaron Finch is in a funk.

What shaped as a tantalising match-up when his opposing number and former housemate Glenn Maxwell took the new ball against him to begin the game ended in anti-climax.

Finch backed away to the leg-side and was bowled aiming a lusty swipe.

While the opener has had his fair share of misfortune in this tournament – he was run out at the non-striker’s end and caught down the leg-side in consecutive innings – Sunday’s dismissal had little to do with luck.

It would however be a brave person to write Finch off, especially one who saw how he worked his way out of a longer slump in the lead-in to the 2019 World Cup, detailed in fascinating depth in The Test documentary.

The consolation act: Sam Harper has threatened often in BBL|10 without a standout knock. Sunday might well have been it had he not been forced to constantly re-adjust his sights as wickets tumbled around him.

At the crease in the game’s first over after Finch’s early departure, the diminutive keeper-batter daringly scooped Billy Stanlake despite having only faced a handful of balls and despite fine-leg being back on the boundary.

A brisk 78-run stand with Shaun Marsh (that all but secured the Bash Boost point for the Gades) laid the foundations for a strong Renegades total, while Harvey then played a super cameo to lift the scoring rate.

But his exit prompted the crippling collapse, with Harper out edging a Stanlake bouncer as he tried to make the most of a Power Surge that brought just 15 runs.

The injury: Kane Richardson bowled a fiery opening spell and it got the better of West Indian Andre Fletcher, who was struck on the right arm by the Renegades ace quick. He soldiered on, but he was out an over later and nursing an ice-pack while appearing in considerable pain.   

The collision: Sam Harper just keeps running into people. This time, thankfully, unlike his run-in with Nathan Ellis last season, he was not concussed and Liam Hatcher was also okay.

Sam Harper making a habit of running into people mid-pitch! 🤕 Thankfully, both guys are ok 👍 @KFCAustralia | #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/PwLZMB9qBp

The next stop: The Renegades have the chance to atone for their defeat and another season that’s fast spiralling out of control when the derby’s return leg is held at Marvel Stadium, their first home game of the season.