BBL | McAndrews fifer on tough Sydney deck knocks out Stars with 21-run Knockout win

Brief score: ST 135/7 (19) [Davies 36(35), Gilkes 28(18); Curran & Mir 2/26 (4)] defeat MS 114 (18) [Maxwell 28(21), Steketee 18(13); McAndrews 5/16 (4)] by 21 runs

O‌pting to bowl first, Melbourne Stars got off to the perfect start on a slow grippy track as Tom Curran, bowling the opening over for the first time in his BBL career, dispatched the in-form David Warner for a silver duck. However, Matthew Gilkes took over the role of powerplay enforcer -- either side of a brief lightning interruption that curtailed the game to 19 overs per side -- to take the score up to 31/1 at the end of four overs, even while Hugh Weibgen struggled to get going at the other end. The opener ultimately succumbed to Usama Mir for a run-a-ball 11 and once Gilkes followed suit after an 18-ball 28 featuring three boundaries and a maximum, the situation was ripe for a collapse. Sam Billings and Oliver Davies ensured no such scenarios arise with anchoring knocks of 24(25) and 36(35) respectively but the latter could not capitalize on the Power Surge that begot just 14 runs at the cost of two wickets, and it took some late hits from Nathan McAndrew and Tom Andrews to post a competitive 135/7 on the board.

The Thunder responded with an early breakthrough of their own courtesy of a McAndrew inducker that castled Sam Harper all hands up and the quick followed it up with Thomas Rogers' scalp in the next over to leave the Stars reeling at 26/2 at the end of the powerplay. Andrews added salt to injury by trapping Peter Handscomb in front after a strugglesome 15-ball 11, causing Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell to join forces with an uphill chase staring in their face. The duo added 38 runs in 33 balls but just when the stage was set to accelarate, spin duo Green and Sangha sent the pair back to the dugout respectively with the score 68/5 after 11.2 overs. Sangha added Curran to his collection on the very next ball and the Stars' fate was thus effetcively sealed as despite an 18-run Mark Steketee cameo, they fell 21 short of the target.     

LOL!

Maxi Show!! 

Superb right!

Yeah Dude

But bad Luck!

dnt Knw bro!

Simple to chase!

Haha!

😂

Sometime !