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That is all from the fixture here with the Stars getting past the Sixers to keep their season alive. Plenty of more BBL action lined up for you in the coming days along with cricket from all around the world right here at Sportskeeda. Make sure you keep following, for now this is Sourabh signing off on behalf of Keshav and the entire team. Adios!
Glenn Maxwell: It was extraordinary. Some times wickets like that are gonna make the better games. It's not always the flat wicket but the pitch like that was so good. To have that win, just keeps us in the hunt. To be fair, I played and missed multiple balls throughout the innings. There was no real way to get rhythm on that pitch. You do need a bit of luck. And I did drop a few catches tonight but thank god, we got enough opportunities. It would have put a hole through the roof. It was pretty high. I stayed in the moment and kept it in the lap and make sure to stay off the ground. It was such a big wicket of James Vince. He has had so much success against the Stars over some period but thankfully he did not make us pay. We will give it every chance. There's a feeling that the group has stayed consistent the whole way through. We have kept the faith to win games of cricket. Winning momentum is quite funny in T20 cricket; once you get on, it's really fun to be on with. We have been on the other side to start the season, so to be on this side of it really fun.
22:41 Local Time (17:11 IST): Melbourne Stars beat Sydney Sixers by 15 runs and keep their campaign alive
Glenn Maxwell 58*(32) | Mark Steketee 3/14(3) James Vince 53(44) | Sean Abbott 3/29(4)
An excellent performance with the ball from the Stars and they have defended a modest total against the (former) table-toppers notching up vital 2 points for them and more importantly giving themselves a chance to still qualify for the playoffs as they register their third straight win on the trot.
Plenty of movement in the points table with that result as well, we have a new table-topper as the Sydney franchises have exchanged positions with the Sixers dropping down to second and now Sydney Thunder are on top of the points table virtue of a superior run-rate. Also, Melbourne Stars have finally got up from the bottom of the table and they now are at number 7 with the Adelaide Strikers now occupying the last spot.
156 never really looked like it was going to be enough at the halftime break but as Glenn Maxwell said during the second innings it was a two-paced wicket with the ball not coming on to the bat and shot-making proved to be tough for the batters and eventually it was his innings that proved to be the difference between both these teams on this slow deck.
Sixers got off to a decent start but lost Philippe in the third over with the score at 22 and then Vince and Patterson stayed at the crease for a bit before Patterson was removed by the leg spin of Usama. Vince got a life and went on to register his fifth-consecutive fifty against the Stars as he was joined by his captain Henriques.
Things looked comfortable for the Sixers at 96/2 in the 14th over but that is when the tables turned, the Power Surge was taken and it completely flipped the game in the favor of the Stars. Both Vince and Henriques holed out to Maxwell at deep mid-wicket off Stoinis in the same over and then Siddle removed Silk with a peach in the next over to make the job really tough for the Sixers as they sunk to 97/5.
Wickets kept falling as none of the batters found it easy to come in and start going straightaway, the run-rate kept climbing up as well and in the end it was a comfortable 15-run win for the Stars.
20
overs
140/9score
1b
W
1lb
W
0
1
runs
Todd Murphy*
1(2)
Akeal Hosein
0(1)
Mark Steketee
3/14
19.6 Mark Steketee to Todd Murphy, length delivery outside the leg stump following the batter, who lofts it over mid-on and a single is taken. Melbourne Stars win by 16 runs. It's their third win on the trot and they have moved up a spot.
19.5 Mark Steketee to Todd Murphy, slower length delivery on the leg stump, a swing and a miss
Number 9 goes down for the Sixers and that is unfortunately it for them. Last man Todd Murphy, RHB, makes his way out to the middle with 16 needed off 2 balls
19.4 Mark Steketee to Sean Abbott, SOFT DISMISSAL slower bouncer outside the off stump. Abbott ramps it in the hands of Usama Mir at backward point
Sean Abbott c Usama Mir b Mark Steketee 5(5b, 0x4, 0x6).
19.3 Mark Steketee to Akeal Hosein, slower short delivery outside the leg stump, hits the arm and a single is taken off it
This looks really tough for the Sixers now, virtually a boundary every ball now as Akeal Hosein, LHB, comes out