While the Hurricanes are out of the playoff race, the loss has given serious dents to the Stars’ finals prospects. Hurricanes’ wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade emerged as the standout performer for his side, playing a classy knock of 63 runs.
Hobart Hurricanes’ dominating run with the willow
Hurricanes made a solid start to their innings after being put into bat, with the opening pair of Wade and Ben McDermott providing a strong foundation. They accumulated 86 runs in the initial ten overs, setting the stage for a big total. McDermott played a brisk innings, scoring 50 off 35 balls with seven fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Wade shined for his side, scoring 63 runs off 41 deliveries, featuring seven fours and a six. However, his dismissal by Dan Lawrence marked a turning point, triggering a collapse for the Hurricanes.
The Stars capitalized by taking wickets at regular intervals, and despite Tim David‘s brief cameo of 16 runs off seven balls, the Hurricanes lost seven wickets for just 55 runs. Ultimately, the guests concluded their innings at 187/8 in 20 overs, falling short of the anticipated big total due to the middle-order collapse.
Melbourne Stars’ below par run-chase
The Stars faced an early setback in their run chase, losing both openers within the power-play for just 31 runs, courtesy of Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis. Beau Webster steadied the innings at number 3, scoring 55 off 43 balls, but a quicker scoring rate from him could have been advantageous.
Despite Glenn Maxwell‘s initial promise, he struggled later on and fell victim to Nathan Ellis. Marcus Stoinis played a vital role, contributing 48 runs in a crucial 80-run partnership for the 4th wicket with Webster. With 33 runs needed from 13 balls, Stoinis was dismissed in the 18th over.
Chris Jordan and Ellis bowled tightly in the penultimate overs, setting up 24 runs to defend in the final over for Peter Hatzoglou. Cartwright and Webster each hit a six in the last over, with Webster reaching his half-century on the final ball. The Stars concluded their innings at 180/4 in 20 overs, losing the game by a tiny margin of seven runs.
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Here is how Twitter reacted:
A bittersweet victory brings our season to an end.#TasmaniasTeam pic.twitter.com/DFjKcgFKAf
— Hobart Hurricanes (@HurricanesBBL) January 15, 2024
Matthew Wade brings up his 19th Big Bash fifty!#BBL13 pic.twitter.com/XxYkmTIv1K
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2024
Ben McDermott with an enormous second decker!#BBL13 pic.twitter.com/RTEKiu4TgD
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2024
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