the Melbourne Stars They earned their spot in the playoffs Big Bash League 2024/25 With a comprehensive victory 40 times over Hobart cyclones. Glenn Maxwell He was named man of the match for his amazing knock of 76 not out.
Table toppers Hobart Hurricanes faced defeat
After electing to bat first, the Stars scored 219/5 in 20 overs, supported by Beau Webstr aggressive 51 off 31 deliveries and a contribution from Maxwell, who top-scored with an unbeaten 76 off 32 balls. The Stars showed their depth in batting with Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis Also chipping away with crucial runs. In reply, the Hurricanes struggled to chase down the target, falling short at 179/10 in 19.3 overs. Mark Steketee He was the Stars' main destroyer, picking up four wickets for just 24 runs, supported by Osama Mir and Tom Curran Who took two wickets each. Despite Tim David's brisk 40 off 22 balls, the Hurricanes failed to maintain the required run rate, losing wickets at regular intervals, which led to their downfall.
The 14th BBL trip comes to an end for Perth Scorchers
The victory not only moved the Stars to fourth place in the points table, but also maintained their unbeaten streak, with five straight wins now ensuring a place in the playoffs. Despite the loss, the Hurricanes remained at the top of the standings with 15 points, but missed the opportunity to increase the lead. Not only does this result highlight the Stars' return to the league, but it also represents a major setback for the Hurricanes, who will now look to regroup ahead of the playoffs. With this victory, he now faces the stars Sydney Thunder In the “Knockout” round on January 22, they are determined to continue their journey in competition. In the meantime Perth Scorchers The trip to the championship ended with a defeat for the Hurricanes.
also WATCH: Marcus Stoinis pulls off extraordinary backwards catch in BBL 2024-25
The Melbourne Stars' all-round performance proved to be too much for the Hurricanes
In the 40th match of BBL 14 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Stars put on a brilliant display with bat and ball, setting a tough target of 220 runs for the Hurricanes to chase. Sam Harper and Thomas Rogers He laid a solid foundation early, putting the Stars on track with a consistent 30-run partnership. However, it was Webster who paced the innings, hitting boundaries at will and amassing 51 off just 31 balls to inject momentum into the Stars' innings.
Maxwell's calm and composed innings eventually increased the stability of the innings, allowing the Stars to score 219/5. A brilliant 76 not out off just 32 deliveries, interspersed with five boundaries and six sixes, he showed his class and proved to be a game-changer. The middle and lower order of stars provided enough firepower to make a difficult target for the Hurricanes.
On the bowling front, the Stars kept up the pressure from the start, with Steketee wreaking havoc on the power play, dismissing key batsmen. Caleb Joel and Ben McDermott. Steketee's four-wicket haul was instrumental in derailing the Hurricanes' chase, as they never really recovered from those early setbacks.
Here's how Twitter reacted:
The stars have aligned
Bound finals in #bubble14! #TheSkyIsTheLimit pic.twitter.com/8LOFh76Bcn
– Melbourne Stars (@StarsBBL) January 19, 2025
Glenn Maxwell has done it again. #bubble14 pic.twitter.com/qedfcOY3eN
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 19, 2025
The Stars needed 5 wins after 5 defeats to qualify… and Maxwell is progressing with one crazy blow after another…
76*(32)
90(52)
58*(32)
20*(10)-Irfan (@Im__Arfan) January 19, 2025
What a turnaround for Melbourne's BBL stars. Five wins in a row after losing the first five matches, and suddenly the team is in fourth place in the table. Great stuff from Marcus Stoinis and his team.@StarsBBL @BBL
– That cricketer (@AlanMatthew7) January 19, 2025
What consistency this season for the Melbourne Stars!
And how good Glenn Maxwell was!!! pic.twitter.com/1VEahghp0R
– Krishna Chaitanya (@k15h4n04) January 19, 2025
The Melbourne Stars season and finals have a very Brisbane Lions feel about it. 0-5 and now unbeaten since.
I won't win it, but it's a great story 👏🏼
— Darcy W ✍️ (@darcywells2k18) January 19, 2025
Amazing transformation!
After losing their first five matches, the Melbourne Stars have won five straight matches to break into the rankings #bubble14 Knockout! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ohOBPNGs39
– Dr. Memes (@IndiaCricArmy) January 19, 2025
Melbourne Stars in BBL 2025:
First 5 matches – 5 losses, 0 wins.
Last 5 matches – 5 wins, 0 losses.– Melbourne is doing the same thing that RCB did in IPL 2024 and now the Melbourne Stars have qualified for the playoffs in the BBL. 🤯🥶 pic.twitter.com/uhA25g8FQv
– Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 19, 2025
our #bubble14 The season is coming to an end 🧡 Thanks to all of us #to make Members and fans for your amazing support all season long! 🏟️🔥 pic.twitter.com/sTB0jS2OKZ
– Perth Scorchers (@ScorchersBBL) January 19, 2025
