Final thoughts
To the key performances: batsmen, generally, in what is a game built for them.
Khawaja’s 70 from 40 balls was more than the core for the Thunder: the next best was Kallis’ 28, while no one else got out of the teens.
Worrall, Beer, Hilfenhaus and Gulbis - who’ve all been so good at times for the Stars - all went wicketless and got smashed.
Zampa, Stoinis and David Hussey took the wickets, but Stoinis was the most economical and even he went at 7.5 an over.
For the Stars it was a similar story, 74 from 39 for Pietersen in a brilliant and strangely responsible display, but the next best scores were 23 and 21.
The Stars probably left 10 or 20 runs out there with not enough in their last few overs.
McKay, Russell, Kallis, Ahmed and Green all went for plenty, but Green did get the key wickets, and Shane Watson returned excellent figures of 2-17 from his three overs.
In the end, the Thunder bowlers did enough to keep the Stars within reach, and then - as the women’s team did - survived some late wobbles to get over the line in the last over.
A great night to be wearing tacky pukey lime green, and a wonderful story for the Big Bash as it grows in presence and confidence and becomes more and more a part of summer as Australia knows it.
It’s been a lot of fun bringing it to you over the last couple of months, and we’ll look forward to bringing you the Twenty20 World Cup in March, after Australia tours New Zealand for two Tests and three ODIs.
Geoff Lemon signing off - until then.
Updated
What a season for the Thunder. Four seasons where they finished either last or second-last. Then in their fifth, and the first for their women’s team, both sides have taken out the championship.
Usman Khawaja is being interviewed on ABC radio, and sounds genuinely emotional as he recalls his team’s dire first season.
Mike Hussey is being farewelled and hugged and cried on and patted and having his delightful ruddy cheeks squeezed.
Jacques Kallis and Shane Watson are being interviewed on the TV screen, looking like happy tree trunks.
There are so many fireworks going off that asthmatics are being wheeled out of the stadium in giant humidicribs.
It’s a fine thing, the sporting story.
Sydney Thunder win the BBL / WBBL double!
19.3 overs: Sydney Thunder 7-181 (Rohrer 13, Hartley 0)
They get there with a six! Ben Rohrer came into the last over needing only 4 runs from it, with their experienced batsman and their wicketkeeper at the crease.
The first ball went for two through square, the next was a dot, but the third saw Rohrer just put everything through that Daniel Worrall delivery and sent it over the sightscreen.
WICKET! Green c D. Hussey b Stoinis, 8 (5 balls)
19th over: Sydney Thunder 7-173 (Rohrer 5, Hartley 0)
So it’s Chris Green to the wicket, the young spinner, needing 14 from 12.
The first ball is just down leg from Stoinis, a wide. So many of those today.
Then it’s a four! Driven through the covers, they have a short catching cover but no one in the deep. Well spotted by Green.
Two more to third man, brilliant running from Green to get back. He got the key wickets of Handscomb and Pietersen in the first innings, and now he’s getting them home with the bat.
Another two, very fortunately, as Green slogs, gets a massive leading edge towards the edge of the circle at midwicket, and Wright has a long way to run back and has to dive to try to get near it. It just eludes him.
A dot ball from a brilliant yorker, then Stoinis finally gets his man, another mis-hit, this time caught at cover.
A single to Rohrer at the last, after the batsmen crossed.
WICKET! Blizzard run out Beer, 16 (7 balls)
18th over: Sydney Thunder 6-163 (Rohrer 4)
Massive over for both teams, but Blizzard has got the Thunder ahead.
He’s nearly run out first ball, after being sent back by Rohrer. He makes it with a dive. Rohrer gets the run next ball.
Then it’s four, as Blizzard gets outside his leg stump, kneels to the off-spinner and lifts him over fine leg.
And six more! A massive slog sweep, too short, easy to hit, clearing the rope by a couple of feet over midwicket.
But then Blizzard tries to keep the strike, pushes wide of the bowler, sets off, and Beer chases the ball down, turns, and fires down the one stump that he can see at the non-striker’s end.
Poor bowling that over, brilliant fielding.
17th over: Sydney Thunder 5-152 (Rohrer 3, Blizzard 6)
“When the game is on the line, you want an old wizened head,” says Chris Rogers, less eloquently than his earlier comments. I’m not sure that’s true in any contest, unless perhaps you’re trying to cast a particular kind of curse.
Rogers is talking about Ben Rohrer, who comes to the wicket when Hussey falls, then is joined by Aiden Blizzard, who still has the best name in the BBL.
Blizzard is anything but chill, though, as he edges a cut just over a diving backward point for two. Then he slogs what should have been one or two runs to deep midwicket, but Worrall lets it through his hands for four.
The big fast bowler shouts in frustration as he lets off the pressure.
WICKET! Russell c Handscomb b Stoinis 10 (8 balls)
Are they on here? The Stars have bounced Russell out, they gave him plenty of short stuff and he didn’t like it, and then another short one was wider, tempting him to cut, and top-edging through to the keeper!
16th over: Sydney Thunder 4-145 (Russell 10, Rohrer 2)
Five and the wicket from Zampa’s over, he finishes his allotment with 2-32. Will it get Melbourne back in the game?
WICKET! Hussey b Zampa 18 (14 balls)
Zampa floats one up, the batsman misses the sweep, and as Whatelely describes it on the ABC as the applause filters through, “Michael Hussey leaves an Australian cricket ground as a player for the final time. He takes his helmet off to acknowledge the applause, and waves to the crowd with his right hand. He has lived that emblem as Mr Cricket from the moment he arrived in the national consciousness.”
“He’s one of those guys you’ll never forget playing with, and the epitome of a professional,” adds former Western Australia batsman Chris Rogers.
15th over: Sydney Thunder 3-140 (M. Hussey 17, Russell 8)
Hilfenhaus starts an over. Hussey pulls to fine leg. “Michael Beer fielding like some sort of collapsible tent,” says Gerard Whately on ABC radio, as Beer slid across to field, realised he was about to touch the rope, then went into all sorts of contortions to keep himself off it.
The bowling towel hanging out of his waistband so nearly brushes the rope while Beer is touching the ball, but in the end he completes the save.
Hussey makes sure of his score next ball by driving out to the cover rope.
Then a single, and Hilfenhaus produces a very good short ball that has Russell hopping and stabbing an uncontrolled run away. He doesn’t love the short stuff, Russell.
37 needed from the last 30 balls at the end of the over. It should be a stroll, unless the Stars can jag out a few wickets.
Updated
14th over: Sydney Thunder 3-131 (M. Hussey 9, Russell 7)
Khawaja out from the second ball. Enter Andre Russell. And it’s a six first ball!
Russell knows he won’t get many balls from David Hussey, so he pounds this one over midwicket, the outfielder nearly snaring a catch but it was just over him, tipping his fingers and would have carried him out of bounds even if he’d held the catch.
Two singles to finish the over. Nine runs but Khawaja gone? I reckon the Stars would have taken that.
WICKET! Khawaja c Worrall b D. Hussey 70 (40 balls)
Oh dear. David Hussey brings on his own off-spin in desperation. His brother takes a single. The bowling Hussey then floats up a knee-high full toss way outside off stump, and instead of putting it over the fence Khawaja slashes it to backward point.
13th over: Sydney Thunder 2-122 (Khawaja 70, M. Hussey 7)
No boundaries in the Stoinis over, that’s the good news. Eight runs thought, worked in ones and twos. Mike Hussey top-edges the last ball just over Wright at backward point.
12th over: Sydney Thunder 2-114 (Khawaja 68, M. Hussey 2)
Another massive lbw shout against the key man - Khawaja crouching to pull Zampa, missing completely, and struck in the box in front of middle stump. The only thing that saved him was the ball pitching outside leg, which is an archaic rule anyway. Just fire that, surely.
They run a leg bye. Or a box bye. Hussey gets a single, then Khawaja lifts six more, straight down the ground, just using his wrists to elevate that.
Two balls later, he puts off Zampa by shaping to ramp, and Zampa accidentally bowls a chest-high beamer. It’s a no-ball. Khawaja baseballs it for four. Then the free hit goes for two more, to midwicket.
Khawaja steps across again. Zampa bowls at where he was standing. Khawaja misses. The umpire signals wide. This is ludicrous. This enforcement of the rules is bizarre. Where has the batsman taken guard? That’s where your wide line should be.
Two more runs to midwicket from the last, 18 from the over. That really hurts the Stars, and lifts the Thunder.
11th over: Sydney Thunder 2-96 (Khawaja 54, M. Hussey 1)
“Mick Lewis, the bowling coach,” was a phrase that I just heard on ABC radio, and was not one that fills me with confidence for the prospects of the Stars.
The Thunder are halfway there at the halfway mark. But then Watson falls, and Mike Hussey comes to the wicket. The ball before Watson was out, Khawaja edged Stoinis just past Handscomb behind the wicket. Great bowling from the young gun.
Only five from the over. Four singles, one wide. Excellent start.
WICKET! Watson c D. Hussey b Stoinis 6 (7 balls)
The Big Rig goes off the motorway! He struck that well, flicked off the pads toward midwicket, but David Hussey was right there in a catching position and he did that position justice.
10th over: Sydney Thunder 1-91 (Khawaja 52, Watson 5)
Kallis having done his job as an opener, and then having gone from the first ball of an over, it’s Watto time.
The Big Rig, who stopped the world with his 2015 display on the Lord’s balcony, walks out to the middle, the only man in the competition broader across the chest than the South African all-rounder he’s replacing.
In classic Watto style, he should be leaving a Zampa delivery to be called a wide, but instead chases it and cuts it for two in front of square.
Another two as Watson hits the same area of the field with a drive, then he flicks a run off his pads. He’s been in good touch in his last few innings: 66, 62 and 46 among his last four games.
Updated
WICKET! Kallis c Pietersen b Zampa 28 (27 balls)
Excellent catch from Pietersen: “hands up, lunging forward at the last,” exclaims Adam White on the ABC commentary. Tried to go big against the leggie, did Kallis, but couldn’t clear long-on.
9th over: Sydney Thunder 0-86 (Khawaja 52, Kallis 28)
“That’s not a bad option, slower-ball bouncer,” says Ponting on TV, of a ball that Khawaja pulls for six.
It wasn’t his most elegant shot, but Gulbis gave him the length and Khawaja gave it the muscle.
Another wide outside off, then it’s a half century for Khawaja from 27 balls. “That’s his lowest score of the tournament,” says the Stars-affiliated Damien Fleming with hope.
They end up with 13 from the Gulbis over.
8th over: Sydney Thunder 0-73 (Khawaja 42, Kallis 26)
I can’t really say it’s a good over from Zampa. It’s an economical over from Zampa. The leg-spinner drops short a lot, but the batsmen don’t really punish him. In fact they struggle to hit him. Only four singles, and a wide that actually hit Khawaja’s thigh pad. Surely umpires and those who make the laws have to add a bit of leniency for the leg-side stuff.
7th over: Sydney Thunder 0-68 (Khawaja 40, Kallis 24)
Oh dear. Oh no. Khawaja takes two on the pull. And then? He’s out. Except he’s not.
Dead straight, leg before wicket, and out to Evan Gulbis. The ball pitched in line to the left-hander and hit him in front of leg stump. The umpire didn’t move. Wanting the crowd favourite to stick around? That means everything to the Stars, but they have to try again.
Khawaja cuts two more next ball, but maybe he’s a bit distracted by his escape, as a dot and a single follow. Only six from Gulbis that over.
Huge opening partnership now for the Thunder.
6th over: Sydney Thunder 0-62 (Khawaja 35, Kallis 23)
A good start from Kallis, a good comeback from Beer. The second and third balls went to the fence, both slapped away unsubtly over the off-side in front of square.
But Beer keeps him scoreless from the next three, only eight go from the over in the end.
5th over: Sydney Thunder 0-54 (Khawaja 35, Kallis 15)
Khawaja pulls Worrall for a couple, then drives him square for three that was so nearly four.
Kallis does get four, with a pull shot that runs very fine, then digs out the yorker for a single.
So here’s a story of how well Khawaja is hitting them. He comes across outside off to try to play the ramp shot over fine leg. Totally unnecessary when you’re hitting your conventional shots so well, but ok. Worrall sees his movement and fires in a yorker outside leg that Khawaja misses. (It’s called a wide. Ludicrous.)
Khawaja doesn’t like that. He’s faced - was that his first dot ball for the innings? I have a feeling it was. So, next ball he plays the exact same shot, the ball isn’t as full, and he middles the flip for four. Just to show that he can.
4th over: Sydney Thunder 0-39 (Khawaja 27, Kallis 10)
Kallis isn’t striking them anywhere near as smoothly as Khawaja: a dot ball as he hits the off-spin of Beer to point, then a single down the ground, mid-on right on the edge of the circle.
But once Khawaja hands the strike back, Kallis muscles a straight drive (generously described as such) past Pietersen at mid-on for four.
3rd over: Sydney Thunder 0-33 (Khawaja 26, Kallis 5)
Usman cruises on. Walks down the pitch to drive Worrall down the ground for four. Plays his first ugly shot with a midwicket jab for two, then trades singles with Kallis, before simply and cleanly lofting Worrall over long-off for six.
Oh, and then two over midwicket. 26 from 11 balls. He is averaging 300 now in the Big Bash League.
2nd over: Sydney Thunder 0-17 (Khawaja 11, Kallis 4)
Oh, goodness me. That is some shot from Khawaja. Hilfenhaus bowls full, and you know how commentators say ‘He hardly seemed to hit that’? Well, he did hardly seem to hit that. Just pushed at it, a forward push, and flicked his wrists a bit, and the ball sped down the ground, an inch past the non-striker’s stumps, for four.
Kallis belts an ugly lofted two when he gets strike, then gets off strike again, leaving Khawaja to lift a slower ball smoothly down the ground for four more.
1st over: Sydney Thunder 0-4 (Khawaja 2, Kallis 1)
A good start from Daniel Worrall, aside from a wide first ball, as he lets the prolific Khawaja off strike first ball, then ties down Kallis for a little while. Just the three singles thereafter.
Khawaja’s recent run?
Usman Khawaja's recent form has been OK I guess... pic.twitter.com/qfxMaCaGeL
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) January 24, 2016
Sydney Thunder will chase 177 to win
20th over: Melbourne Stars 9-176 (Hilfenhaus 0)
Well, quite the comeback over for the Thunder in the last, as they keep the Stars to six runs by virtue of taking three wickets. Two run-outs and that Green screamer.
There could have been a bigger score when Pietersen was powering along, but once he fell the Stars slipped.
Overall, 3-139 became this 9-176. So perhaps 20 runs they let go, but they’d still be pretty confident with that score.
The Thunder won’t mind it either, though, with their powerful batting line-up. Kallis, Watson, Russell, Khawaja, Hussey - if anyone can chase it, it’s Green Sydney.
WICKET! Worrall run out Hartley, 0 (0 balls)
And another, as Ben Hilfenhaus tries to steal a bye from the last ball, but the keeper is onto it, and underarms the stumps with Worrall about five millimetres short of his ground. A run saved is a run earned, they say.
WICKET! Gulbis c Green b McKay 16 (11 balls)
More brilliance! What a piece of outfielding, as Gulbis got almost every piece of his whip over midwicket, it soars out the rope, and Green takes the catch running around but realises he’s about to tread on the rope.
So he throws the ball in the air, takes a couple more steps around the boundary, with the padding touching the side of his boot, then reclaims the ball once he’s clear of the boundary.
WICKET! Zampa run out Rohrer, 15 (10 balls)
McKay slammed down the ground, they turn for two, and brilliance from Rohrer as he hits the stumps from long-off to run out the non-striker on the way back.
19th over: Melbourne Stars 6-170 (Gulbis 14, Zampa 11)
A single for Zampa. Gulbis goes for a paddle over short fine, misses it, and is hit in front of the stumps. “I’m afraid that’s just out,” chides Gerard Whateley on the radio after the umpire turns down the appeal.
Bang, goes Gulbis to deep midwicket for four just to annoy Andre Russell further.
Russell is annoyed, I can tell you. He fires through a vicious bouncer that Gulbis can’t ramp because it’s gone before he’s even thought about the shot. A couple of singles finish off another eventful over.
18th over: Melbourne Stars 6-163 (Gulbis 9, Zampa 9)
McKay back, as the Thunder bowlers continue to rotate. A couple of singles.
Then Zampa gets the shorter slower ball with some width, waits for it, and lashes through the line to lift it over backward point for four! Top shot.
Then he’s dropped. Or near enough. Gets another ball that sits up, tries to muscle it over cover, and instead it skews down to mid-on. Rohrer, set very deep, runs in and dives forwards but that ball lands on the grass and between his fingers at the same time, and bobbles out. Think he misjudged his approach.
Updated
17th over: Melbourne Stars 6-154 (Gulbis 8, Zampa 1)
It was a sloppy start from Russell. First a wide, then a high full toss that went straight through Quiney, zipped off the grass halfway to the keeper, and beat Hartley as well to go for four byes.
But Russell comes back from his third attempt to claim the wicket.
Adam Zampa drops a bouncer for a single, then it’s a brilliant four as Evan Gulbis cleans up, timing the ball off his pads beautifully.
“Anyone who’s been around Melbourne grade cricket knows that Gulbis is a very, very good batsman,” explains Chris Rogers on ABC Grandstand. Though he can’t resist adding the Gulbis began his Tasmanian first-class career with four ducks against Victoria.
Russell bowls another wide. What a mixed bag, this over. Then four more, as Gulbis has a big swipe and edges it safely through fine third man.
Updated
WICKET! Quiney c & b Russell 2 (4 balls)
Almost a carbon copy of the last dismissal, though from a pace bowler’s slower ball rather than a spinner. Low full toss, low on the bat, skews back to Russell for a simple take.
WICKET! c & b Green, 74 (39 balls)
16th over: Melbourne Stars 5-139 (Quiney 2)
That’s the big one. The young bowler Green gets it, with a ball that just stopped on Pietersen a bit. The batsman was only looking to work a single, it wasn’t even a big shot, but it scooped off the toe of the bat and lobbed back to the bowler.
The bowler barely appealed, and the umpires looked like they were going to confer about a bump ball, but Pietersen saved them the time by walking off immediately.
15th over: Melbourne Stars 4-132 (Pietersen 68, Quiney 1)
That over started so well for the Stars, with another Pietersen six. All of them have been hit straight, that’s the most noticeable thing. He’s not trying to be showy, just to be as low-risk as possible while getting the job done.
The result is an innings at a strike rate of 200.
Rob Quiney comes in after Hussey falls and chops a single.
WICKET! D. Hussey b Kallis 21 (14 balls)
Gawn! Kallis gets him, full and straight, pretty simple, the Stars captain misses and zing go the bails.
14th over: Melbourne Stars 3-122 (Pietersen 60, D. Hussey 20)
Mike Hussey goes to his key operator, Clint McKay, who is varying his lengths cleverly. He so nearly pulls off a good over, with singles from the first five balls, but then McKay bowls on the hip and Hussey sends it away through fine leg for four.
13th over: Melbourne Stars 3-113 (Pietersen 57, D. Hussey 14)
Green’s getting steamed. Dave Hussey doesn’t want to leave Pietersen to go alone, so he shovels the ball over long-on for six!
Next ball is clouted across the line, not struck cleanly as it goes high over the on-side, but it rolls to the midwicket rope.
A few singles, and there’s another dozen runs to the total, with Pietersen only contributing one.
12th over: Melbourne Stars 3-101 (Pietersen 56, D. Hussey 3)
Half-century for Pietersen from 25 balls with a single, having hit 4 x fours and 3 x sixes.
Watson is the bowler. He beats Dave Hussey, then keeps him to a single.
Of course, that just lets Pietersen get back on strike, and he pounds the off-drive for six!
Updated
11th over: Melbourne Stars 2-92 (Pietersen 49, D. Hussey 1)
Handscomb was playing with all kinds of risk in that Green over: first the lap shot for a single, then when he got the strike back, Handscomb backed away, exposed all three stumps, and edged a ball that was going to hit middle, off the top edge of the cut shot and wide of the keeper for four.
It wasn’t an intense shock when he was out next ball.
David Hussey to the wicket. Hands Pietersen the strike, and... SIX! Another simple straight drive, not trying anything fancy, and why would you bother when you can do it with the most basic cricket shots?
Green’s figures get a little chopped. 1-18 from his two.
Updated
WICKET! Handscomb c M. Hussey b Green 9 (9 balls)
Versus the off-spin, Handscomb is down the wicket and flicking but it’s straight to short midwicket.
10th over: Melbourne Stars 2-79 (Pietersen 42, Handscomb 4)
Half a dozen! Pietersen is enjoying Fawad Ahmed, especially playing with the spin. This time he gives himself space and goes over cover, a monstrous hit in a ground this size. Clears it comfortably.
Happy to work singles around thereafter. The star Star import is their key.
9th over: Melbourne Stars 2-69 (Pietersen 34, Handscomb 2)
The off-spinner Chris Green from the other end, the BBL’s own Zoolander, and the most fabulous hair in the entire comp inspires him to a five-run over, just four singles and a wide.
8th over: Melbourne Stars 2-64 (Pietersen 32, Handscomb 0)
Six! Pietersen’s first, as the leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed comes on and lofts him straight.
Next two balls received the same treatment, pushed towards long-on slowly enough that the batsmen can complete two. Both times it’s the new feller Handscomb who’s running to the danger end, but he’s young and face.
He sprints 88 metres before even getting the chance to score a run.
Four from the last ball, as Pietersen gets down to sweep very fine and gets good enough contact.
None of this is much interest to the Channel Ten chaps, who’ve spent 17 minutes discussing a reality TV show.
WICKET! Wright b Watson 23 (24 balls)
7th over: Melbourne Stars 2-50 (Pietersen 18)
Pietersen striking them well, as he pulls fiercely, but the sweeper makes it a single. A couple more of those are taken from Watson, but then he drops too short again and Wright smacks him for four.
A dot from the fifth ball makes Wright hungry again, then Watson bowls a slow bouncer from the last, Wright went after it like he was Liam Neeson and the ball was a kidnapper, but instead of doing the ball the harm he intended, Luke Wright could only bottom-edge it onto his stumps.
6th over: Melbourne Stars 1-43 (Wright 18, Pietersen 16)
Pietersen knew from the start that he wanted to take Kallis on. The bowler is back of a length, Pietersen uses his height to lift it over mid-on. Four.
But two dots follow, as he plays to the field on the on-side, then misses the big lofted cover drive to a wider ball.
Kallis drifts too wide again, and Pietersen drives behind square and splits the two fielders in the ring behind point. He keeps the strike with a single, given that Wright hits the last ball straight to cover.
Updated
5th over: Melbourne Stars 1-34 (Wright 18, Pietersen 7)
Pietersen has waited an age to face his second ball, having been 4 from 1 for the last couple of overs. He has to wait a bit longer.
Russell’s bowling is quick today, he’s above 140 the whole over. His decent bouncer is unfairly called a wide. It takes Wright four balls to get off strike, very nearly replicating the duck-hook that Russell himself played so well earlier in the tournament.
Finally Pietersen gets a second ball, and works it through midwicket for two. Then he inside edges a single past his stumps, after Russell is again bizarrely wided. That time, Pietersen came way across his stumps and missed a ball that would surely have hit him had he stayed in his original position. How that can be a wide I’ll never know.
4th over: Melbourne Stars 1-28 (Wright 17, Pietersen 4)
Kallis to get into the action, having come back from a muscle strain that kept him out of the end of the regular season and the semi-final.
Short second ball, and Wright pulls him away for four. But that’s about all he can get from the over, as Kallis uses his experience to deliver accurate balls that Wright can only block, then push to cover, then swish at and miss. A single from the last ball is the only addition.
3rd over: Melbourne Stars 1-23 (Wright 12, Pietersen 4)
McKay now, trying to hold this good start together. But it can’t last forever. They get a couple from a leg-stump half-volley, then there’s a wide, then finally Wright breaks the shackles with a big on-drive for six.
A couple more runs on the cut shot, as McKay drops short and makes Watson trundle around in front of Bay 13 at the MCG to field at third man.
Then a misfield gives up a single, before Pietersen hits an audacious boundary as he walks right across his stumps to glance a good ball in the channel outside off, and send it to the fine leg fence. Big over, not a good one from McKay.
2nd over: Melbourne Stars 1-7 (Wright 1, Pietersen 0)
Brilliant over from Watto, who is in the frame for World Twenty20 selection, and making his skills known. He seems fresh this summer, having got off the international treadmill, and is bowling with pace.
Great accuracy through that over: he gets Stoinis second ball, then tucks up Wright with each subsequent delivery, conceding only a single run from the last ball.
WICKET! Stoinis c Russell b Watson 5 (8 balls)
Not a good start for the Stars, as their opener aims a big drive at Aussie all-rounder Watson, toe-ends it, and it lands with Watson’s fellow opening bowler at mid-off.
1st over: Melbourne Stars 0-6 (Stoinis 5, Wright 0)
A quiet first over for Stoinis, who is subjected to a lot of short stuff from Russell. He glances one boundary, Russell bowls a wide, and Stoinis takes a single. That’s it.
Updated
Stars
Stoinis
Wright
Pietersen
Handscomb
D. Hussey*
Quiney
Gulbis
Zampa
Hilfenhaus
Coleman
Beer
Thunder
Kallis
Khawaja
Watson
M Hussey*
Blizzard
Rohrer
Russell
Hartley†
McKay
Green
Ahmed
But here in the men’s final, it’s all about the brothers Hussey.
Mike is captaining the Thunder, David the Stars, in what will be Mike’s last game of competitive cricket.
The Thunder’s batting will be built around the incredible recent form of Usman Khawaja, as well as the veteran calm of Hussey and Jacques Kallis. The Stars will rely most on Kevin Pietersen and Peter Handscomb.
In the bowling, it’s all about Clink McKay for the Thunder (tournament top wicket-taker), along with Kallis and Andre Russell, while the Stars have their low-profile pack attack of Worrall, Zampa, Hilfenhaus and Beer.
To run you through the women’s final in the absence of a match report to link to, the Sixers won the toss and batted, but some excellent bowling by the Thunder, despite a couple of dropped catches, kept them to a sub-par 115.
Erin Osborne (3-21), Maisy Gibson (2-21) and Rene Farrell (2-22) did the damage.
Then the Thunder were facing equally tight bowling from Marizanne Kapp (1-11), and had a late flurry of run-outs after a good start, meaning they scrambled to their target with three overs to spare and three wickets in hand. Rachael Haynes (37) and Alex Blackwell (30) contributed most.
What ho, fine fellows and dames. We’re primed for action. We saw a tremendous final earlier today in the Women’s Big Bash league, where the Sydney Thunder survived a dramatic late collapse to scramble home in the last over against the Sixers.
It took the Thunder men’s team five seasons to even reach the finals, but the women won it at their first attempt.
Now the Thunder are eying off the double. Standing in their way, at Victoria’s premier sporting venue, are the Melbourne Stars.
Geoff will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a reminder of how both sides reached the final.
