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Stoinis makes magnificent 147 to land Big Bash League record

His innings spanned just 79 balls and surpassed the previous highest score in a BBL match, the unbeaten 122 that D'Arcy Short made for the Hobart Hurricanes against the Brisbane Heat in 2018.

The performance from Stoinis was staggering, with the Australia limited-overs international cracking 13 fours and eight sixes, including a maximum from the final ball of the innings at the MCG.

The Stars looked like going the distance without losing a wicket, but Hilton Cartwright holed out to Jordan Silk at deep midwicket from the first ball of the 20th over.

Cartwright had made 59 from 40 deliveries. The home side finished five balls later with 219-1, four runs short of the record team total in the competition which was set in 2017 by the Hurricanes against the Melbourne Renegades.

Stoinis left the field to a standing ovation, having made exactly 100 in boundaries alone, with the Sixers facing a tall order to chase down their target.

Stoinis' sensational history-making knock helps Stars silence Sixers

Perhaps irked by his duck in the Melbourne derby against the Renegades two days ago, Stoinis carried his bat in a wonderful unbeaten 147 – the highest score ever in the Big Bash League.

Stoinis' effort blew the previous best – a 122 not out from D'Arcy Short – out of the water and the Stars were close to going through their entire 20 overs without a losing a wicket.

However, Hilton Cartwright (59) holed out to deep midwicket from the first ball of the final over as the Stars reached 219-1, marking the third highest score in the competition's history.

Still, the duo's stand of 207 also represented a record and, though the Sixers made a decent 175-7 in reply, in truth Stoinis' heroics meant the visitors were on a hiding to nothing at the MCG.

STOINIS PRODUCES 'I WAS THERE' PERFORMANCE

Stoinis' performance was so good that had you not seen it you might not have believed what was going on.

In total, there were eight sixes and 13 fours from 79 balls of utter excellence, Stoinis finishing in typically brilliant fashion with a hook over backward square leg off Sam Curran.

That came after a remarkable penultimate over in which Stoinis scored 24 runs off the luckless Ben Dwarshuis.

Cartwright provided a fine foil with three sixes and six fours off 40 deliveries, but the evening belonged to one man, with the MCG crowd offering a huge ovation to Stoinis.


SIXERS FAIL TO BUILD A PLATFORM

If there was any hope for the Sixers it may have come from the 2017 classic between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Renegades, which coincidentally also took place on January 12.

On that occasion, the Hurricanes successfully chased 223, with that match providing the two highest totals in BBL history.

The Sixers needed everything to go their way, though, and, well, it just did not happen.

Moises Henriques (41) and Dwarshuis (42) made good scores but there were not enough substantial partnerships to trouble the Stars, for whom Clint Hinchcliffe finished with 3-20. 

Strikers wilt as Thunder prevail under pressure to keep BBL dreams alive

Set a meagre 152 for victory on Saturday, the Strikers were cruising towards a comfortable victory before Daniel Sams (3-26) and Chris Morris (2-22) instigated the loss of five wickets for 24 runs.

Star batsman Alex Hales top scored with 59 for the Thunder, who finished four points behind Adelaide on the ladder but will now face the Melbourne Stars in a do-or-die challenger clash on Thursday.

The winner of that match will advance to face the Sydney Sixers in the February 8 final at the SCG.

HALES GIVES THUNDER HOPE

Usman Khawaja's early exit and the loss of Callum Ferguson inside six overs could have derailed the Thunder before their innings began to take shape.

Hales had other ideas and, like he has done so regularly in the tournament, gave his team crucial quick runs at the top of the order.

The destructive England opener hammered six fours and four sixes to record his fourth half-century in five innings while dominating a 51-run stand with Alex Ross (12).

Arjun Nair (18) and all-rounder Morris (21) made handy contributions lower down the order to build a competitive total, but the Thunder would surely have been bundled out if not for their key man.

STRIKERS SQUANDER WINNING POSITION

Phil Salt's departure in the opening over of the chase failed to prevent the Strikers from making a confident start in front of an expectant Adelaide Oval crowd.

Travis Head entered and struck a quickfire 32 before Alex Carey (28) and Jonathan Wells (34) came together and produced what looked to be a match-winning partnership worth 50 runs.

Then, however, came the collapse. Australia international Carey was run out after gambling on a quick single and the promotion of Rashid Khan failed to pay dividends as he looped a catch out to deep square two balls later.

When Morris pinned Matt Short in front for a duck, the Strikers had lost three wickets for two runs and undone their good work.

TREMAIN FLAILS BUT THUNDER PREVAIL

Adelaide's implosion was only matched by that of Thunder bowler Chris Tremain, who sent down three wides in a wretched 16-run 18th over that left the door ajar.

Sams made amends, conceding five runs and removing both Michael Neser and Peter Siddle the following over.

Morris then extracted a thin edge from Wells, the Strikers' famed finisher, to all but end the contest at the beginning of the 20th.

Key contributors Sams and Hales combined to let a high ball go to ground but the damage was done as the Thunder kept alive their hopes of a second BBL title.

Thunder lose to Strikers again despite scoring 10x more runs than previous clash

Unwanted history was made by the Thunder when they were all out for just 15 in the Big Bash League on Friday, the lowest total ever recorded in men's professional T20 cricket.

Unsurprisingly, they lost that game at the Sydney Showground Stadium to the Strikers, who had set a target of 140.

All eyes were on the Thunder to see if they could respond when the two teams met again in Adelaide, and an ironic cheer went up from the home fans as openers Alex Hales and Matthew Gilkes went past 15 after just two-and-a-half overs.

T20 World Cup winner Hales went on to hit 68 from 50 balls, including six fours and three sixes, while Ollie Davies added 42 from 30 as the Thunder posted a far more respectable total of 150-5 from their 20 overs, exactly 10 times as many as last week.

It was not enough, though. Jake Weatherald fell early for Adelaide in their chase, but they were rarely troubled after that as Matt Short (65) was ably supported by 28 each from Chris Lynn and Adam Hose (not out).

Despite a late run out of Colin de Grandhomme, the Strikers eased to the target with six wickets and eight balls to spare to maintain their winning start to the season, while the Thunder have won just one of their four matches.

Thunder squeeze past Scorchers in rain-affected BBL thriller

The Thunder needed to triumph to avoid elimination from top-five contention and held their nerve with the bat after being set 96 from 12 overs for victory following a rain delay at Spotless Stadium.

South African Morris clubbed a six and a four in consecutive deliveries to reward Alex Hales' blistering 47 and get the hosts home with two balls to spare, sealing a seven-wicket victory that takes them above the Scorchers and into fourth.

Miserly bowling from Chris Tremain (1-14) and Daniel Sams (1-16) earlier restricted the Scorchers to 99-4 from 15 overs, their total reduced following the hour-long pause in play.

BANCROFT BUILDS COMPETITIVE TOTAL

The Scorchers gave themselves plenty of work to do after winning the toss, electing to bat and then slipping to 64-4 in the 12th over of their truncated innings.

They were indebted to Cameron Bancroft for achieving a reasonable score before the rain arrived, the Australia international managing a valuable unbeaten 35 from 25 balls amid scant contributions elsewhere in the top six.

Liam Livingstone stuttered to Perth's next-best score with 20 off 27 as Tremain, Sams and Morris (1-9) kept the total down.

HALES HELPS THUNDER THROUGH THE STORM

Following scores of 85 and 63 in the previous two games, England international Hales continued his fine form in a standout performance.

The 31-year-old made light of a difficult wicket as he breezed to 47 from 27 balls before slicing a catch to cover off Fawad Ahmad (1-15).

The ease with which Hales found the boundary - his innings included four fours and two sixes - came in contrast to the other batsman during a low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket.

MORRIS SETTLES THUNDER NERVES

Hales' departure led to the loss of three wickets for 16 runs as the Thunder started to let victory slip from their grasp.

Usman Khawaja (22) was caught out of his crease, Jhye Richardson bowled Alex Ross and the Scorchers suddenly became favourites to escape with the points.

Enter all-rounder Morris. After watching Callum Ferguson take three runs off the first two balls of the decisive 12th over from Matt Kelly, the 32-year-old brought a stunning end to the contest.

He struck a huge six over long-on and then pierced a drive through the off-side to snatch a season-saving win for the Thunder just as it looked to have eluded them.

Thunder tear through Sixers in DLS win

Two interruptions due to adverse weather inside the opening three overs resulted in the match being reduced to 16 overs each, but the Sixers were already in trouble at 6-3.

Daniel Sams claimed figures of 3-14, which included the scalps of Justin Avendano (28) and Ben Dwarshuis (19) – the only Sixers batsmen to reach double figures.

Chris Morris (2-12 from 3.5 overs) removed Jackson Bird and took the bails off to run out Steve O'Keefe for a diamond duck in the final over as Moises Henriques' team were skittled for the second-lowest BBL score of 76.

Usman Khawaja was on 13 when he fell to Tom Curran in the fourth over of the chase, but Callum Ferguson (8 not out) and Sams (5no) ensured the Thunder stayed above the par score by getting to 28-2 when the rain hit again.

The Sixers consequently missed a chance to open up a four-point advantage on the teams chasing second place, with the Thunder now two points back in fourth.

Tim David bolts into Australia squad for T20 World Cup title defence

The Australians will look to defend their T20 title in the tournament that runs from October 16 to November 13 in Australia and New Zealand.

Globetrotting T20 star David is the major surprise in the squad and the only change from last year's group that lifted the world title in UAE, replacing spinner Mitchell Swepson.

Australia's squad includes the usual suspects such as David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and vice-captain Pat Cummins. Mitch Marsh is selected despite a recent ankle concern.

Skipper Aaron Finch, 35, had been under some pressure to hold his spot but is named, with the group also to travel to face India in three T20 Internationals in September in preparation. Warner will be rested for the India tour with Cameron Green taking his place.

National Selection Panel chair of selectors George Bailey said: "This is a similar squad to that which became the first Australian’s men’s team to win a T20 World Cup who are now very excited about playing the tournament at home.

"Mitchell Swepson was unlucky to miss out based on conditions in the UAE at the last World Cup where we planned for tired, spinning wickets compared to what we would expect are good batting conditions along with the larger grounds in Australia.

"Tim continues to establish himself with some quality performances in leagues around the world, earning a place in the squad. He is a highly gifted, natural ball striker who will add extra batting depth to the group which has had a lot of success in T20 cricket.

"We expect him to play a similar role to that he has been playing in the past few years."

David, who previously represented the country of his birth Singapore in 14 T20Is in 2019 and 2020, has impressed in global T20 leagues including with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, the Southern Brave in The Hundred and the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

The 26-year-old has amassed 1,874 runs at a strike rate of 168.4 in 86 T20 games over the past two years in a late-overs batting role, with part-time off-breaks.

David's strike rate of 216.28 in eight matches with the Mumbai Indians earlier this year was the highest by any player to have faced at least 50 balls in a single IPL season.

Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson and Swepson were among the unlucky players to miss out on selection.

Australia faces India in the first of their three T20Is on September 20 in Mohali, with their first World Cup match against New Zealand in Sydney on October 22.

Australia's T20 World Cup squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner*, Adam Zampa. 

* Will be replaced by Cameron Green for three T20Is, September 20-26, in India

Tom Banton blasts Heat to dominant delayed win in the rain

The weather saw a delayed start and then limited Brisbane to just eight overs in the first innings, but Banton quickly made up for lost time in a 16-run triumph.

The England international needed just 16 balls to reach 50, ending on 56 after seven sixes that helped Heat to an impressive 119-4.

Further rain appeared the only hindrance to a dominant win, and neither the conditions nor Thunder - chasing 77 in a reduced five overs - could effectively intervene.

BANTON BLOWS THUNDER AWAY

Banton started as he meant to go on when the covers came off, launching Daniel Sams over the boundary from the first ball.

And this rapid progress continued alongside fellow opener Chris Lynn, lifting Brisbane to 39 without loss by the end of the two-over powerplay.

But it was a blistering fourth over that stole the show, Banton following up a rare dot ball with five successive maximums to bring up his half-century in sensational style.

The second six in that stretch had been carried over the rope by Brendan Doggett as he desperately tried to check the 21-year-old's thrilling assault.

HEAT HALTED AS RAIN RETURNS

A partnership of 90 was finally ended in the fifth over, as Banton hit a Chris Tremain full toss to Chris Morris on the fence.

That prompted something of a collapse, with Heat only able to add another 29 runs.

Doggett held on impressively to account for Lynn (31), before Sams (2-24) removed Max Bryant and Matt Renshaw.

Thunder's hopes of victory were extremely remote and they were 18-1 after two overs, but Brisbane were dealt a blow when rain fell again with the match still 2.5 overs short of the requisite number of deliveries.

SAMS CARRIES SYDNEY'S HOPES

With Sydney then facing a tough total as play resumed, Callum Ferguson launched towards the boundary but was caught before Alex Hales (21 not out) struck consecutive fours.

An entertaining fourth over saw three boundaries and two wickets, and Thunder's chances were all but over when Sams' (10) six-four start was followed up with a stunning grab out of the air from Ben Laughlin.

They could only reach 61-4, as Ben Cutting saw out the fifth and final over with an array of yorkers.

Tom Curran given four-game BBL ban for intimidating umpire

Curran and his club, the Sydney Sixers, denied the offence and plan to appeal against the suspension.

The incident occurred on December 11, when Curran was warming up ahead of a game against Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston.

Cricket Australia’s code of conduct commissioner Adrian Anderson found that the 28-year-old, who last played for England in 2021, became involved in a disagreement with an umpire while going through his run-up.

The match official instructed Curran not to run on the pitch and stood next to the stumps to block his approach after he attempted to continue.

Anderson found that Curran “attempted to perform a practice run up and run at pace straight towards the umpire, who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran. The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision”.

That was deemed a level three offence under clause 2.17 of the CA code – which covers “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an umpire or match referee” – leading to four penalty points and a four-game ban.

Rachael Haynes, the former Australia Women’s captain and head of the Sixers, said the franchise would contest the ruling.

“Tom and the club maintain that Tom did not knowingly or intentionally intimidate a match official and, on legal advice, we will exercise our right to appeal the decision,” she said in a statement.

“We will support Tom during this period and look forward to him returning to the field.”

Wade and Wright star before Ellis holds his nerve as Hurricanes edge out Renegades

Needing a win to keep their slim hopes of a finals place alive, the Hurricanes were put into bat by their hosts at the Marvel Stadium in Tuesday's bottom-of-the-table clash.

But Hobart captain Wade immediately set about punishing the Renegades for that decision, smashing his way to 50 in just 22 deliveries before succumbing in the eighth over when he sliced to third man.

Wright, however, more than picked up the slack as the visitors kept up the pace, though Mohammad Nabi dismissed Jake Doran (4) before Cameron Boyce found the edge of David Miller's bat.

A full toss from Daniel Christian allowed Wright to surpass a half-century, with the batsman - ably supported by Ben McDermott (38) - finishing on 70 from 50 balls as the Renegades were set a target of 191.

Wade's Australia team-mate Marcus Harris had far less success as he went in the second over of Melbourne's innings, prior to the Renegades losing Sam Harper to a head injury.

Beau Webster (50) and Nabi (63) gave Melbourne hope with some huge shots late on but, with the home side requiring 12 to win from nine deliveries, the latter picked out Wright at deep midwicket after hitting two successive sixes.

Webster's mishit from a full toss dashed Melbourne's hopes further, with Nathan Ellis bouncing back from an expensive previous over to ensure the win.

HARPER BECOMES FIRST CONCUSSION SUB IN BBL

With Wade and Wright having done the business for the Hurricanes, the Renegades were dealt a huge blow when Harper was forced off in the fourth over.

The wicketkeeper - who suffered a severe concussion in a 2017 when Jake Lehmann accidentally struck him in the helmet with his bat - sustained a hefty blow to the head when he clattered into Ellis while scampering for a run.

Dr Trefor James and team physio Nick Adock were swiftly on the scene and, though Harper appeared to try and shake off their concerns, he was clearly unsteady on his feet and was subsequently taken off, with Tom Cooper his replacement.

Harper was then assessed in the changing rooms, before being taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

ELLIS HOLDS HIS NERVE

Nabi and Webster struck a combined 20 off of Ellis' penultimate over, taking the Renegades to within touching distance of victory.

But with Clive Rose having ended Nabi's impressive stand, Ellis regained his composure in a crucial final over, luring Webster into a poor shot before sealing the win with an exceptional dot ball under pressure on the fifth delivery.

It left the Renegades needing a six off the final ball to force a Super Over, but a fine yorker from Ellis ensured the win went to Hobart.

"What a finish, great finish from Nathan," player of the match Wright said. "It was a really good game."

Walsh to face Tendulkar for Bushfire Cricket Bash

The charity event teams will be led by legendary Australian players Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, with proceeds going towards rebuilding efforts in wake of Australia's recent devastating bushfires.

The match itself will be a bigger part of Cricket Australia’s charity efforts and will serve as a curtain-raiser to this year’s Big Bash League final day on February 8. 

Other former players confirmed for the match, called the Bushfire Cricket Bash, including Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell, and Michael Clarke. Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be involved in a non-playing capacity.

"I'm delighted to confirm the Bushfire Cricket Bash will be Cricket Australia's major fundraising initiative to support Australians impacted by the recent unprecedented bushfire emergency," the CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said.

"People the world over have seen the overwhelming images of hundreds of thousands of hectares burnt, precious lives lost, hundreds of properties destroyed and the devastating loss of wildlife as a result of the fires. These images have reinforced the need to get behind organisations like the Australian Red Cross which is responding to the immediate requirements of people who have lost loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods."

Warner open to discuss captaincy ban with Cricket Australia but vows to lead without title

Opening batter Warner was embroiled in controversy back in 2018, partnering with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft as the trio were punished for their involvement in a ball-tampering scandal against South Africa.

All three players were handed a year-long ban for their role in the Newlands Test scandal, though Warner was punished the most severely as he was banned from holding a leadership position ever again.

The 35-year-old expressed fears he would never play for his country again but has since returned to enjoy T20 World Cup success, coupled with an Ashes demolition of England.

While Warner has quietly returned to the fore both nationally and domestically, growing calls have suggested his ban should be removed so he can replace Usman Khajawa as Sydney Thunder captain in the Big Bash League.

"That hasn't really been brought to the table," he said on Sunday when asked if there could be a change of heart at Cricket Australia. 

"As I've said plenty of times off the record, it's upon the board to reach out to me and open their doors. Then I can sit down and have an honest conversation with them.

"The board has changed since back in 2018 and when all those sanctions were dealt. It would be great to have a conversation with them and see where we are at."

Regardless of whether Warner holds a position within Pat Cummins' Australian leadership team or with the Thunder, the left-handed opener believes he can still play a role without a title.

"I've got the experience, I'm a leader in the side anyway without having a title," he added.

"That's what I'm about, giving back, so if they [younger players] can pick my brains in any way, my phone is always there, they have my number, and they can see me when I'm at the practice facilities."

Wells sinks table-topping Stars

Jono Wells was instrumental to the Strikers' 162-4, sharing in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 71 with Matthew Short, before the duo of Peter Siddle and Rashid Khan frustrated the Stars' batsmen with the ball.

The win saw Adelaide move above Sydney Sixers in the table, both sides on 15 points, five behind the Stars.

Wells' knock gave the home side's innings much-needed impetus after Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey all got starts without going beyond 40.

The Tasmanian hit two sixes and four fours in a 36-ball 55 which, alongside Short's 23, gave the Adelaide bowlers something to work with.

Michael Neser and Siddle immediately applied the pressure, with the latter also claiming the prize wicket of BBL top run-scorer Marcus Stoinis (5) after he mistimed a drive towards long-on and was snaffled by Salt.

And the Stars were put further on the back foot when Rashid bowled the dangerous Nic Maddinson with his second ball.

Wes Agar accounted for Nick Larkin and Glenn Maxwell and Neser snared Seb Gotch, with Adelaide always seemingly in control.

However, Peter Handscomb (65 not out) helped the Stars reach the final over requiring 22 to complete a remarkable win.

Home skipper Travis Head turned to veteran Siddle and he saw the Strikers home with two wickets as Melbourne were restricted to 151-8.

Handy Hinchliffe 

Clint Hinchliffe's left-arm spin had only reaped five wickets in the BBL this season but he was the Stars' best bowler while the more established Daniel Worrall and Adam Zampa struggled.

Hinchliffe took 3-19, including a sharp caught and bowled to remove Weatherald, to keep the Strikers top order from cutting loose.


Head Boy ends the 'Big Show'

Melbourne's best chance of chasing down the Adelaide total rested on the shoulders of Maxwell. 

But the 'Big Show' failed to wow the crowds as he holed out to Head off the bowling of Agar for 19.


Super Siddle shows he's still got it

The pressure was on Siddle at the beginning and end of the Melbourne innings and he delivered both times, finishing with figures of 4-33 from his four overs.

The former Australia international cleverly varied his length and pace and proved far too wily for the Stars line-up.

Wes wins battle of Agars as Strikers secure top-three berth

Phil Salt's second half-century in his last four games helped the Strikers to 181-5 from their 20 overs, with Jake Weatherald and Travis Head making 35 apiece at Optus Stadium.

That target proved to be well beyond the hosts despite a magnificent knock from Liam Livingstone (79), Agar taking 3-36.

Adelaide are second in the table and will not have to contest the eliminator round of the play-offs. The Scorchers are fourth and can secure a place in the playoffs with a win over Sydney Thunder on Sunday.

SALT SHAKES UP SCORCHERS ATTACK

Opener Salt hit seven boundaries and a pair of maximums in his 31-ball 59, putting on 71 for the opening wicket with Weatherald.

Alex Carey and Head kept the scoreboard ticking with a stand of 43 off 28 balls and Jono Wells' contribution ensured the Strikers had plenty to defend.

A dozen of Wells' 23 runs off 16 balls came via him finding the rope, and those boundaries proved valuable as the Scorchers came up short in response.

LIVINGSTONE GIVES SCORCHERS HOPE

The Scorchers' top runs scorer in the BBL this season, Livingstone frequently threatened the rafters as he kept the hosts' hopes alive.

The English opener struck seven sixes in his explosive 54-ball knock and showed the ability to do so in unorthodox fashion, with ramp and hook shots sent sailing for six.

However, when man of the match Wes Agar ended his remarkable innings the prospect of a Scorchers victory went with him as they went from 115-5 to finishing on 165-7.

WES WINS BATTLE OF AGARS

Wes Agar also removed opener Josh Inglis and Scorchers captain Mitchell Marsh as he finished with figures of 3-36, ensuring he got the better of his brother Ashton Agar in the process.

Older sibling Ashton Agar took 2-29, dismissing openers Weatherald and Salt, and was unbeaten on 10 with the bat.

He still ended up on the losing side despite his admirable efforts, but was all smiles as he congratulated his younger brother after the match.