Finals chances for the winless Melbourne Stars are gone, but things won’t get any easier when they take on a high flying Melbourne Renegades side in the derby. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:40pm (AEDT).
The Stars have had a woeful first half of the year and with five straight losses against their name, it’s not almost impossible they could make the final four.
John Hasting’s side have been awful with both bat and ball, which is particularly frustrating for a team who had the best XI on paper coming into the season.
Watching the commitment and dedication to the cause of a team like the Perth Scorchers and then watching a team with the talent and unfulfilled potential like the Stars is a polar opposite.
They have at least one positive – being able to hang onto Glenn Maxwell after he missed Australian ODI selection. The big-hitting all-rounder has been one of their best this season and has two half-centuries to prove it.
The rest of the Stars order have been inconsistent. Marcus Stoinis has had some bright spots, but he is now lost to the national team, while captain John Hastings has looked all over the place in rotating his bowlers and finding the best strategies in the field.
It’s a completely different story for the Renegades. They sit with four wins from their first six games and are in third place on the table.
While they may be just one rung below the top sides, they have impressed this season and so nearly found a way to stop the seemingly unbeatable Perth Scorchers in their last contest.
Scoring 185 against their attack is not an easy thing to do, but the Renegades found a way, as they have done all season, winning a lot of games through their big name batting line-up.
While they now lose Aaron Finch and Cameron White to the Australian side, they have plenty of talent to bridge the gap. Brad Hodge brings experience in spades, while Dwayne Bravo is capable of plenty.
Marcus Harris has plenty of potential, but the key to this game may well be the performance of all-rounder Mohammed Nabi. He has stood up with both bat and ball this year and could well leave the Stars in a tail-spin.
It wouldn’t be the first time this season after he led the Renegades to victory in the first derby, picking up a wicket and scoring 50.
Prediction
The Renegades have plenty to play for after their last-start loss and should be able to get back in the winner’s circle here against a Stars team who keep failing people’s expectations.
Renegades by plenty.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the Big Bash League from 7:40pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2017-18 Big Bash League season as the Melbourne Stars picked up their first win. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. I'll be back at 7:40pm (AEDT) tomorrow for the Sydney derby. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the game Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
MELBOURNE STARS WIN BY 23 RUNS The Melbourne Stars finally have their first victory. Richardson grabs a single to mid wicket on the final ball, but it won't matter. This has really been over for a couple of overs. Good stuff from the Stars. Kevin Pietersen paved the way, then some excellent bowling early on from Daniel Worrall ensured they would be ahead of the game.
Melbourne Stars: 4/167 (20) Melbourne Renegades: 9/144 (20)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Hogg misses his first, then grabs a cover drive for a single to extra cover. He should have been run out there.
Over: 19.5 Melbourne Renegades: 9/143 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Brad Hogg in at 11. Three balls to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
WICKET! Jon Holland, Bowled Daniel Worrall 1 (3) Bowled him! Holland tries to smack a good length ball across the line, but that's swung in, beaten him and clattered into the stumps.
Over: 19.3 Melbourne Renegades: 9/142 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
A single to start for Richardson, then Holland drills a full ball back down the ground, but hits the bowlers end stumps.
Over: 19.2 Melbourne Renegades: 8/142 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Single down the ground for Richardson to end the over. Well bowled that from Hastings and this is all over bar the shouting now. One over to go.
Over: 19 Melbourne Renegades: 8/141 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Couple of singles now.
Over: 18.5 Melbourne Renegades: 8/140 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Richardson will be on strike, but Jon Holland is the new man.
Scott Pryde
Expert
WICKET! Jack Wildermuth, Caught Glenn Maxwell, Bowled John Hastings 23 (11) And now that will really finish the match off. Low full toss from Hastings and Wildermuth gets underneath it on one knee, but it's skied and down the throat of Maxwell at long on who takes his fourth catch.
Over: 18.3 Melbourne Renegades: 8/138 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well bowled from Hastings. Yorker length on the off stump and it's jammed out into the leg side for a quick single. 30 from 10.
Over: 18.2 Melbourne Renegades: 7/138 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Full and outside the off stump from Hastings here. Richardson hits it down the ground, flat, and grabs two.
Over: 18.1 Melbourne Renegades: 7/137 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
SIX Well, that helps. Low full toss from Worrall to end the over as he misses the mark and Wildermuth swings it over long on, just clearing Maxwell to get a six. 33 needed from 2 overs.
Over: 18 Melbourne Renegades: 7/135 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Richardson grabs a single from the outside edge, then a full one from Worrall is driven back down the ground by Wildermuth, but won't clear Worrall.
Over: 17.5 Melbourne Renegades: 7/129 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Yorker from Worrall. Wildermuth gets an inside edge into the pads and grabs a single. 40 from 15 now.
Over: 17.3 Melbourne Renegades: 7/128 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Single for Richardson on his first ball through the covers, then Worrall misses the mark. That'll go down as a wide.
Over: 17.2 Melbourne Renegades: 7/127 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Kane Richardson in at 9.
Scott Pryde
Expert
WICKET! Beau Webster, Bowled Jack Wildermuth Gone! That might be it. Webster looks for a lap sweep, but he has missed everything. Ball goes straight into the stumps.
Over: 17.1 Melbourne Renegades: 7/125 Required score: 168
Scott Pryde
Expert
Daniel Worrall is back to close it out.