Stars' epic choke hands Big Bash title to Renegades
The Renegades have claimed their first Big Bash title and bragging rights in Melbourne after an impossible 13-run victory over the Stars.
In the derby at Docklands in front of 40,816 fans, the Renegades were held to just 5-145 after being sent in to bat.
The Stars were cruising towards their own drought-breaking championship but from 0-93 they first lost an incredulous four wickets for six runs, but by the time the collapse was halted it was seven for 19.
Ben Dunk returned to form with 57 runs off 45 balls, while Marcus Stoinis was supporting him brilliantly until he fell for 39 off 38.
"Finally some joy for the @RenegadesBBL!"
Boyce bowls Stoinis, and it's 1/93 – 53 off 42 needed #BBL08 #BBLFinal pic.twitter.com/unQ59DDbab
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 17, 2019
The choke was on immediately.
Peter Handscomb was out for a two-ball duck, Dunk fell the next over and in-form captain Glenn Maxwell was soon caught for one.
Interesting … @RenegadesBBL get another, Handscomb goes for a duck.
2/94 now, 52 off 39 needed by the Stars #BBL08 #BBLFinal pic.twitter.com/lTUASNdpjE
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 17, 2019
WOW. Surely … surely this isn't happening?
Dunk goes, @RenegadesBBL have another, and it's now 47 off 30 needed #BBL08 #BBLFinal pic.twitter.com/6NtzOAei2i
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 17, 2019
NO WAY! Maxwell goes, and @RenegadesBBL are running riot! #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/K2CEFNgEa8
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 17, 2019
Renegades captain Aaron Finch, whose impact with the bat was curtailed by a freak run out, kept the foot on the pedal and the Stars batsmen kept dropping like flies.
Harry Gurney dismissed Nic Maddinson for just six runs to end the 17th over and Dan Christian had Seb Gotch and Dwayne Bravo caught in the 18th.
The Stars finished on 7-132, 13 runs short, after some late hitting by Adam Zampa (17 runs off 10 balls).
The @RenegadesBBL are CHAMPIONS! #BBL08 | #BBLFinal pic.twitter.com/qRJ8txMLai
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 17, 2019
Christian, who has now won seven T20 titles around the world, was named man of the match.
He led the Renegades home with 38 runs off 30 balls and accounted for Gotch and Bravo in the Stars’ collapse.
“It’s very special, it’s exciting … it was an unbelievable effort by our boys to pull that off,” Finch said.
“Particularly in that last six to eight overs to get that breakthrough and then really drag that momentum back our way.
The Melbourne Stars needed 53 runs from 43 balls, with 10 wickets in hand, to win the entire tournament – and they threw it away.
This is the greatest choke in T20 history.#BBL08
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) February 17, 2019
“It was probably one over away from them really breaking our hearts I think.
“They played well for the first 12 overs but you just need one opening on a wicket like that a slow, pretty low wicket to create some pressure, to create some doubt in their minds.
“To hang in the contest for the whole day … it was a great effort.”
The defeat will leave a sour taste in the mouth of Stars president Eddie McGuire, who watched Collingwood lose the AFL grand final to West Coast in similarly devastating fashion last September.