MELBOURNE STARS secured their fourth consecutive BBL|13 victory after defeating the Renegades by eight wickets in last night’s Melbourne Derby. In a shortened, rain-affected game at the MCG, the home side turned in arguably its most complete performance of the season to solidify its top four standing.

Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell was dominant in all facets of the game. After winning the bat flip and electing to bowl, he summed up the conditions beautifully to quell the Renegades’ fast start, putting the clamps on with eight of the revised 14 overs being bowled by spinners.

Maxwell rolled the arm over for three himself, picking up figures of 1-8 before accelerating the chase with a belligerent 32* off just 15 deliveries – including three-straight sixes off former teammate Adam Zampa. Tom Rogers was with him at the other end, hitting the winning runs to finish on a game-high 42* (34).

While the Stars’ powerful middle order carried the side to its previous three wins, this was a more well rounded showing. The Renegades piled on 34 runs in the three-over Power Play before Stars spinners Maxwell, Imad Wasim (1-22), and part-timer Dan Lawrence (2-8) put the clamps on.

What followed was a patch of 33 balls without a boundary for the Renegades, whose total of 1-44 during the four Power Play/Surge overs was juxtaposed by a meagre 6-53 in the remaining 10. It was an all or nothing kind of batting performance, with too few twos and threes sought after on the MCG expanses.

The chase was relatively straightforward, with plenty of onus put on Zampa as the Renegades’ lone spin option. Although, Jono Wells was bizarrely given an over before the internationally renowned leggie, leaking 11 runs. The Stars were in control and chased down the seven-an-over target comfortably.

Seamers Tom Rogers (1-21) and Peter Siddle (1-22) did their best to utilise the sticky wicket with pace variation, but had too little to defend after batters like Jake Fraser-McGurk (14 off 19) and Mack Harvey (18 off 16) struggled to carry on from Quinton de Kock‘s early fireworks (23 off 16).

The Renegades now sit dead last as one of three teams with a single win, and next face the Hobart Hurricanes tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Stars sit pretty in third with a positive record for the first time this season. They host the Sydney Sixers on January 6 in what is set to be a bumper clash.

SCORECARD

RESULT: Melbourne Stars won by 8 wickets with 12 balls to spare.
POTM: Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars)
BAT FLIP: Melbourne Stars won and elected to bowl.

KEY PLAYERS

Melbourne Stars:
Dan Lawrence 2-8 (2), Glenn Maxwell 1-8 (3), Imad Wasim 1-22 (3)
Tom Rogers 42* (34), Glenn Maxwell 32* (15), Beau Webster 14 (18)

Melbourne Renegades:
Quinton de Kock 23 (16), Mack Harvey 18 (16), Jake Fraser-McGurk 14 (19)
Tom Rogers 1-21 (3), Peter Siddle 1-22 (3), Adam Zampa 0-27 (3)

INNINGS BREAKDOWN

Power Play (1-3)
Stars: 1-22
Renegades: 1-34

Power Surge
Stars (12): 0-8 (2-89 – 2-97)
Renegades (10): 0-10 (4-62 – 4-72)

Totals
Stars: 2-98 (12)
Renegades: 7-97 (14)