[ad_1]
Sydney Thunder scored 176 for 5 (Hales 40, Bancroft 30, Webster 4-29) to defeat Melbourne Stars who scored 172 (Webster 59, Maxwell 30, Sams 4-33, Zaman 3-24) by five wickets
In a clash between two winless teams, Stars were bowled out for 172 at the Lavington Sports Ground in Albury. They lost wickets on the last four balls of the final over, delivered by Sams, who claimed 4 for 33 in his four overs. Sams took a return catch, had another batter caught, and completed a team hat-trick by assisting in a run-out before bowling out the last man.
Then, with Thunder needing 23 runs off as many balls, Sams (22 not out in 13 balls) dispelled all doubts with a quick cameo, and Nathan McAndrew sealed the game with a six over long-on with ten deliveries remaining.
The win moved Thunder to fifth place and left Stars at the bottom – they have only won one of their 11 BBL matches in 2023.
Thunder emerged victorious despite an outstanding all-round performance from Webster, who top-scored with 59 off 44 balls and was also the most successful bowler for the Stars with 4 for 29, his best BBL figures. He became the first player in BBL history to score a half-century and take four wickets in the same game.
Webster was the only Stars batsman to capitalize on a start after they chose to bat first in front of just over 10,000 spectators.
Captain Maxwell (30 in 26), Tom Rogers (21 in 16), and Cartwright (22 in 11) all looked dangerous but failed to capitalize on their starts.
Thunder appeared to be cruising to victory after a punishing opening stand of 78 in 7.2 overs between Alex Hales (40 in 26) and Cameron Bancroft (30 in 20). Hales smashed three sixes in an over off Stars debutant Mark Steketee, and Bancroft struck fours off the first two deliveries of the next over, before Webster dismissed both in the space of three balls.
Webster then had the dangerous Ollie Davies (23 in 18) caught at mid-off after he had cracked two fours and a six earlier in the over.
Alex Ross (17 in 9) fell to spinner Liam Dawson, who then took a great catch to dismiss Jason Sangha (19 in 21) to give Webster his fourth wicket.
[ad_2]
Source link
