It did not take long for New Zealand star Trent Boult to make his mark on the BBL.
The champion quick needed just two balls for his first scalp in the competition and one more for his second, sparking a mighty fight from the Melbourne Stars in Canberra on Tuesday night that fell just short.
The Stars looked dead and buried after being rolled for 122 batting first against the Sydney Thunder but took the game to the final ball behind some brilliant bowling.
Boult's early double set the tone, although he had a lovely helping hand from sub fielder Brody Couch who pulled off a crazy juggling catch to get rid of Matt Gilkes.
His first spell netted him 2-11, before he returned late in the piece for two tidy overs that each went for five runs as the Stars tightened the screws, finishing with 2-21.
They might not have left with the points, but Stars captain Adam Zampa knew what impact the 33-year-old gun had made.
"He's just a world-class bowler," Zampa told reporters.
"He was so good to have out there, to bounce ideas off. He's just so clear with what he wanted which is what you need as a captain.
"I love having him in the team."
Boult was the No.3 pick in the inaugural BBL draft this year but is a Twenty20 mainstay, having played for five IPL teams and leading the Rajasthan Royals to this year's final.
He is set to play the first eight games of the Stars' season before heading to the ILT20 in the UAE.
One headache Zampa might have while captaining the Stars this year in injured Glenn Maxwell's absence is choosing the right moments to bowl Boult.
He kept them alive bowling the 16th and 18th, but they could have used him for the final over where Gurinder Sandhu smashed Beau Webster to win the game.
Zampa said he was not auditioning for future captaincy roles, but had loved the gig all the same.
"I enjoy the pressure of it, that's when I'm at my best, when I'm up for the fight," he said.
"I won't back away from that and I didn't feel any more pressure. I actually had a lot of fun doing it."
