Haris Raufand for three joe clarkpower of explosive innings melbourne stars for an impressive victory sydney thunderin the 14th match of Big Bash League 2025-26 Chasing a target of 129 in just 14 overs, table-toppers Melbourne Stars defeated Sydney Thunder by nine wickets with 36 balls to spare at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday.
Haris Rauf destroyed Sydney Thunder with brilliant bowling
Sydney Thunder’s batting collapsed on a good Canberra pitch and were bundled out for just 128 runs in their full quota of 20 overs after the Melbourne Stars captain. marcus stoinis After winning the toss, decided to bowl first. Despite the pitch offering plenty of stroke-making, the Thunder failed to build momentum after a promising start.
opener Sam Konstas And Matthew Gilkes Started on a positive note and took the score to 33 inside the powerplay. Gilkes looked particularly aggressive, hitting a four and two sixes, but the early spark was extinguished when Rauf used his slower ball cleverly to edge him to mid-off. Soon Constas bowled Michelle SwepsonTriggering a steady slide for the Thunder.
as the pressure increased david warner He could not improve his start and got caught in the deep off Stoinis’ ball. cameron bancroftHis ordeal ended when he was out LBW to Swepson after a failed review. At 63 for four, the Thunder were in trouble and in desperate need of a partnership.
Sam Billings And Shadab Khan Tried a recovery, added some consistency and took the total closer to 90. However, Rauf came back during the power surge and removed Billings to swing the game decisively in Stars’ favour. chris green With well disguised variations. After the collapse of the middle order, the lower order offered little resistance. tom curran And Peter Siddall The Thunder lost their last five wickets cheaply, slipping from a promising position and suffering another batting disappointment. Rauf’s sharp spell turns out to be a decisive factor in the downfall
Also read: Sam Harper’s explosive century leads Melbourne Stars to stunning win over Sydney Sixers in BBL|15
Joe Clark’s explosive innings leads Melbourne Stars to a spectacular win
joe clark Produced a blistering opening performance to set up a comfortable win for the Melbourne Stars and demonstrated their attacking intent from the start of the chase. Clarke scored a brilliant 60 runs in just 37 balls, crossing the boundary with the help of eight fours and a skyscraper six. Together Sam HarperHe ensured that the Stars flew out of the blocks, completing his half-century in just 3.6 overs during the power play. Clarke sent the ball with confidence and completed his half-century in just 29 balls. Ryan Hadley With beautiful flicks and powerful cuts through point, the opening pair stitched a brilliant 86-run partnership. Success was finally achieved when chris green 9. After Clarke was dismissed in the 4th over, the score was 86 runs for 1 wicket, but by then the damage had been done.
With the platform firmly established, Harper and glen maxwell Delivered the stars home peacefully without any hiccups. Harper remained unbeaten on 29 off 27 balls, while Maxwell finished the match with an aggressive unbeaten 39 off 20 balls, hitting five fours and dismissing the ball twice. Maxwell was especially fond of Shadab Tanveer SanghaEnsuring that the pursuit never deviates from the path. The Stars reached 100 runs in just 11.1 overs and were never under pressure on the Thunder bowlers Daniel Sams And Ryan Hadley Had to struggle to stop the flow of runs. The emphatic win keeps Melbourne Stars unbeaten with four wins from four matches and comfortably sitting at the top of the BBL|15 standings, while Sydney Thunder’s campaign continues to slide.
Four wins. Zero loss.
in @starsbbl I am shining in #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/axshOfR4Lh
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 28 December 2025
See also: Tom Curran completely destroys Jason Sangha’s stumps in BBL|15
