Glenn Maxwell`s Half Century Knock Under Pressure
Glenn Maxwell’s rapid-fire half-century under pressure laid the victory for the Melbourne Stars’ 16-run margin win over the Sydney Sixers in the BBL match at the MCG on Thursday (January 9). This marked the Stars’ third consecutive win after enduring five straight losses, allowing them to move out of last place.
Maxwell after a rough patch responded with an unbeaten 58 from just 32 balls, featuring five fours and three sixes, guiding the Stars to a total of 156/5. The Stars then delivered a composed bowling performance, restricting the Sixers to 140/9, even though James Vince scored 53 runs off 44 balls. Mark Steketee secured impressive figures of 3-14, while Marcus Stoinis, Usama Mir, and Peter Siddle each took two wickets.
Despite a strong start from Ben Duckett, who struck a six and a four off Akeal Hosein in the opening over, the Stars faced pressure as wickets fell at regular intervals. Beau Webster’s effort to build a solid partnership fell short as he continually lost partners, and Stoinis’s dismissal left the Stars at 64/4 midway through their innings.
However, momentum shifted with Maxwell’s entry, who hit a six off Ben Dwarshuis on just his second ball. The influx of boundaries increased, and the Stars capitalized during the surge overs. A substantial 19-run over occurred in the 13th when Maxwell hit two fours and Webster launched a six off Sean Abbott, followed by 14 runs off Dwarshuis, with Maxwell smashing a six and a four. A six from Dwarshuis in the 18th over helped Maxwell reach a rapid 26-ball fifty, as the Stars aimed for an explosive end at 147/4.
Nevertheless, the Sixers performed admirably in the closing overs. Abbott dismissed Webster for 48 and allowed only one run in the 19th, with Hilton Cartwright facing four dot balls. The final over, delivered by Hayden Kerr, yielded only seven runs plus a leg-bye, as the Sixers failed to concede any boundaries in the last 15 balls of the innings.
The Stars’ bowlers maintained their discipline, preventing the Sixers from getting off to a fast start in their chase. Steketee took Josh Philippe’s wicket, and only 27 runs were scored in the first four overs. Just as Vince and Kurtis Patterson began to accelerate, Patterson fell victim to Usama. Nonetheless, the Sixers were progressing steadily thanks to Vince, who advanced them to 90/2 after 13 overs.
Vince reached his fifty off 42 balls, striking a four off Stoinis when the power surge commenced. However, the Stars captain sparked a downturn by having Vince caught in the deep and followed up by dismissing Moises Henriques shortly after. Jordan Silk fell to Siddle, and Usama sent Jack Edwards back to the pavilion as the Sixers found themselves at 112/6. Hayden Kerr (21 off 15) attempted to maintain the fight, but with 28 runs needed off the last two overs, the Stars held the advantage. An 8-run over from Siddle and Steketee resulted in three wickets in the final two overs, rendering the target unreachable for the Sixers.
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