Melbourne Stars have surged back into contention in BBL|14 with three straight wins in 2025
Stars keep finals pulse ticking as Stoinis praises consistency
Melbourne Stars are daring to dream of a remarkable KFC BBL|14 fightback after their third straight win lifted them off the bottom for the first time this season.
After losing their first five games in a horror start to their campaign, Marcus Stoinis' side have since won their past three matches to keep their finals hopes alive.
Led by Glenn Maxwell's sensational 32-ball 58 not out, the Stars knocked off ladder-leaders Sydney Sixers at the MCG last night to jump to seventh place and just one point out of the top four with two games remaining.
Win both of those – including a blockbuster Melbourne derby against fellow finals hopefuls the Renegades at Marvel Stadium on Sunday – and the Stars will have enough points to qualify, but given their poor net run-rate (-0.356) they'll also be relying on the top three (Sydney Thunder, Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes) to keep winning to help eliminate the other four teams around them.
"Yes, we put ourselves in a position where we had to win five in a row, but now that we're here and we've got two games left, it doesn't seem too much of a stretch," said Stars skipper Stoinis after last night's 16-run win over the Sixers.
"That's all we can focus on, it doesn't really matter what else is happening.
"A big game coming up against the Renegades – it's going to be a big crowd I'd assume (after) they had a great win (over the Scorchers) the other day, so hats off to them.
"And the two Melbourne teams are still in with a chance, so it's exciting."
Stoinis lauded Maxwell's "phenomenal" knock – where he took the Stars from 4-60 just shy of the halfway mark to post 5-156 – and was also full of praise for returning Test debutant Beau Webster's supporting act (48 off 41) on a tricky MCG surface.
"(Maxwell) took ownership, controlled the (Power) Surge, controlled the back end and batted on a different wicket compared to a lot of us, so it just speaks volumes of how classy and how skilled he is," Stoinis said.
"The way Beau played – he was a bit frustrated with how the innings went, thinking that he needed to score more or faster.
"But when you're working in a partnership with someone like 'Maxi' (Maxwell), it's not your day every time, so the way that he was still able to stay calm and stay in the contest and bat for a little bit longer and build a partnership for us to bowl at, it showed that wicket wasn't actually that easy."
Stoinis revealed the Stars hadn't changed a lot from their opening five losses but had focused on putting together a complete game of cricket.
"I've said it a few times now but it's just a great reward for the effort we've been putting in," the allrounder said.
"The boys have remained consistent. I kept speaking to them about just making sure you're rocking up with the same character, same energy and same belief in yourselves individually.
"We were doing a lot right in the first five games, so it feels like we're starting to build that together into whole games now and we've got three wins on the trot so it's brilliant.
"We have tweaked a few things but it's mainly just doing what we were doing before, just a little bit longer.
"Even personally, just batting a little bit longer, bringing the partnerships a little bit further and deeper into the game."
Webster celebrated the winning moment by placing two fingers on his neck to indicate the Stars 'still had a pulse', while Stoinis and Maxwell vigorously revved up the crowd after combing to dismiss James Vince and opposing skipper Moises Henriques in the same over.
"'Maxi' and I have been here for 100 games each; we love this club," Stoinis said.
"As much as anyone, we want our club to be back at the top where we know it should be.
"We want to win every game, but these wins mean a lot to us, it's a team that's been part of our career for a long time, so I guess that emotion just comes out."
KFC BBL|14 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
THU
|
7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 | 0 | 9 |
|
2
SIX
|
7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.041 | 0 | 9 |
|
3
HUR
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.154 | 0 | 9 |
|
4
HEA
|
7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.518 | 0 | 7 |
|
5
SCO
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.624 | 0 | 6 |
|
6
REN
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.392 | 0 | 6 |
|
7
STA
|
8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.356 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
STR
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.299 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points