Join now and get your first month for just $1 ><\/a><\/p>\nYet, the Stars are the only franchise to have never won a BBL trophy. The Melbourne-based club has won just three of their 13 finals matches, a woeful success rate of 23 per cent.<\/p>\n
And the next chapter of the club\u2019s finals journey commences on Wednesday evening, facing reigning champions the Hobart Hurricanes in a must-win Knockout at Bellerive Oval.<\/p>\n
Maxwell, who has played 122 matches for the Stars since his debut in 2012, is desperate to break the drought.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been such a huge part of my career, playing at the Stars, the people that have been involved with the franchise, the impact that it\u2019s had on my career,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve given me so much, this team, and fans have been right there the whole way through every high and low.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just feel like it\u2019d be so great to be able to give them something back, and to be a part of that would be incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scorchers v Stars BBL highlights | 14:41<\/p>\n
\u2018THEY\u2019RE JUST CHOKERS\u2019: GOLDEN RUN BEFORE 2019 DISASTER<\/p>\n
When the Big Bash League was in its infancy, the Stars were the competition\u2019s powerhouse club, with coach Greg Shipperd and captain Cameron White leading the charge. The men in green dominated the first five editions of the BBL, going through the entire 2013\/24 regular season undefeated.<\/p>\n
In 2012, Malinga claimed record-breaking figures of 6-7 against the Perth Scorchers at the WACA, while Warne created headlines by predicting his dismissal of Brisbane Heat opener Brendon McCullum while mic\u2019d up on Fox Sports.<\/p>\n
The Stars were blockbuster viewing, with 80,883 fans attending a Melbourne derby against their cross-town rivals at the MCG during BBL|05.<\/p>\n
But the club had a worrying habit of tripping up in the knockouts, losing each of their four semi-final contests from 2012-2015. Their maiden appearance at a tournament decider also ended in defeat, with Michael Hussey\u2019s Sydney Thunder toppling them by three wickets at the MCG in 2016, albeit aided by some dubious umpiring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve consistently been one of the best teams for a long time,\u201d former Test opener Usman Khawaja told cricket.com.au in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just can\u2019t jump over that hurdle.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Stars earned another chance to secure a maiden BBL title during the 2019 final, facing the Renegades in front of a packed crowd at Docklands Stadium.<\/p>\n
Chasing a modest target of 146 for victory, Maxwell\u2019s men were seemingly cruising at 0-93 in the 13th over before losing 7-19 in a disastrous collapse, ultimately falling 13 runs short. In unforgettable scenes, the trophy slipped from their grasp.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a choke,\u201d Warne declared on Fox Cricket commentary after the match.<\/p>\n
\u201c53 runs (needed) off 43 balls with 10 wickets in hand. You should win them 96 times out of 100.\u201c<\/p>\n
Jackson Bird of the Stars walks off as the Renegades celebrate their win during the Big Bash League final in 2019. AAP Image\/Mark DadswellSource: AAP<\/p>\n
Having once again tripped at the last hurdle, the Stars dusted themselves off and bounced back the following summer, winning ten of their first 11 matches to top the standings, but the club lost a rain-affected final against the Sydney Sixers at the SCG, with weather reducing the contest to a frantic 12-over shootout.<\/p>\n
Once again, despite dominating the competition, the Stars couldn\u2019t finish the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are not handling the pressure of a final,\u201d Warne said after the 2020 final.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been ordinary cricket and they haven\u2019t handled the pressure again in a final.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nine years, eight finals appearances, no titles. The Stars, it appeared, were cursed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Stars curse feels real,\u201d leg-spinner Zampa confessed in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt plays on my mind a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hurricanes speedster Riley Meredith added: \u201cI don\u2019t think the curse is real. They\u2019re just chokers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stars\u2019 BBL Season Results<\/p>\n
BBL|01 \u2013 Semi-finals<\/p>\n
BBL|02 \u2013 Semi-finals<\/p>\n
BBL|03 \u2013 Semi-finals<\/p>\n
BBL|04 \u2013 Semi-finals<\/p>\n
BBL|05 \u2013 Runners-up<\/p>\n
BBL|06 \u2013 Semi-finals<\/p>\n
BBL|07 \u2013 8th<\/p>\n
BBL|08 \u2013 Runners-up<\/p>\n
BBL|09 \u2013 Runners-up<\/p>\n
BBL|10 \u2013 7th<\/p>\n
BBL|11 \u2013 6th<\/p>\n
BBL|12 \u2013 8th<\/p>\n
BBL|13 \u2013 8th<\/p>\n
BBL|14 \u2013 Knockout<\/p>\n
Glenn Maxwell of the Melbourne Stars. Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
BBL \u2018FAIRYTALE\u2019 ALIVE AFTER DRAMATIC TURNAROUND<\/p>\n
The Stars struggled for consistency following the Covid-19 pandemic, failing to qualify for the knockouts in four consecutive seasons from 2021-2024, including a dreaded wooden spoon in 2023.<\/p>\n
Seven players and eight support staff contracted Covid-19 at one stage during the 2021\/22 season, forcing the Stars to field a starting XI packed with club cricketers for a farcical match against Scorchers at Junction Oval.<\/p>\n
The club was in desperate need of rejuvenation. Former England mentor Peter Moores was appointed as head coach in 2023, with Stoinis taking over the captaincy shortly after, but the leadership shake-up didn\u2019t immediately produce results, with the Stars losing each of their first five games of the 2024\/25 season.<\/p>\n
Another wooden spoon beckoned before, in a stunning turnaround, the Stars won their final five matches to sneak into the fourth on the standings, cementing their first finals appearance in five seasons. Despite losing the Knockout to David Warner\u2019s Thunder, the team was on the right trajectory, with their momentum carrying through to this summer.<\/p>\n
The Stars\u2019 2025\/26 campaign got off to a flying start, comfortably winning their first four matches, including an eight-wicket triumph over reigning champions the Hurricanes in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
For Maxwell, suddenly the dream was alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d be lying if I hadn\u2019t started to think of that fairytale and what it looks like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were 4-0, I was going to bed at night starting to let my mind drift forward to, \u2018What if it is this year? What am I going to do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
“Small in Stature, Big in Power!” | 00:42<\/p>\n
OPENER\u2019S BREAKOUT KNOCK AFTER \u2018CROSSROADS\u2019 MOMENT<\/p>\n
The Stars\u2019 third victory of the season, a seven-wicket win over the Sydney Sixers on Boxing Day, was headlined by an unbeaten century from wicketkeeper Sam Harper, his maiden hundred at Big Bash level.<\/p>\n
Chasing a 145-target at the SCG, the opener\u2019s 110 not out accounted for 76 per cent of the innings runs, with none of his teammates managing more than 14.<\/p>\n
Having been unexpectedly traded from the Renegades in 2023, Harper contributed just 180 runs at 11.25 across the previous two summers with a modest strike rate of 110.42, putting his spot in the Stars\u2019 starting XI in jeopardy. He later admitted to previously being overawed by the calibre of the team\u2019s middle order.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got these superstars behind you,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you think, \u2018It could be better if I get out here.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think the best thing for the team is to go hard in the Powerplay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following a period of reflection during the off-season, Harper decided to stop fearing the repercussions of batting his own style and play to his strengths, specifically targeting the square boundaries.<\/p>\n
Having also decided to limit foot movement at the crease, Harper\u2019s been the club\u2019s leading run-scorer with 371 at 61.83 this summer, sitting third in the competition\u2019s overall tally behind Warner and the Scorchers\u2019 Finn Allen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of last season, he came to a bit of a crossroads personally,\u201d Moores said of Harper, speaking to Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came to a point where he had to decide what sort of player he was going to be and how he was going to play. He went away and did some thinking, decided he was going to trust in the way he played.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a cross-bat player, Sam Harper. He hits very well square, and I think he started to accept that\u2019s the sort of player he is, and refined those skills. I think once a player starts to try and get themselves better rather than trying to be something else, they can move really fast, and he\u2019s a great example of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most runs in BBL|15<\/p>\n
433 \u2013 David Warner (ST)<\/p>\n
430 \u2013 Finn Allen (PS)<\/p>\n
371 \u2013 Sam Harper (MS)<\/p>\n
334 \u2013 Aaron Hardie (PS)<\/p>\n
324 \u2013 Matthew Renshaw (BH)<\/p>\n
Harper opens up on recent BBL success | 01:18<\/p>\n
41YO VETERAN STILL \u2018TICKING EVERY BOX\u2019<\/p>\n
The Stars\u2019 recent success can be attributed in part to the unlikely pace trio of England\u2019s Tom Curran, Pakistan\u2019s Haris Rauf and Victorian veteran Peter Siddle, who celebrates his 42nd birthday this year.<\/p>\n
Comprising three of the competition\u2019s five leading wicket-takers this season, the Stars\u2019 pace bowlers have proven difficult to tame during the Powerplay and the Surge, rolling the Adelaide Strikers for 83 during last week\u2019s low-scoring contest at MCG.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve connected really well as a group,\u201d Moores said of the bowling attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey set high expectations on each other and they\u2019ve got a great camaraderie between them, so that\u2019s really helped get the best out of each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been fantastic as a group, so they\u2019ve created real pressure by backing each other\u2019s overs up. I\u2019m so pleased for all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rauf has been a fan favourite for nearly a decade, but Curran and Siddle were signed by the Stars ahead of the 2024\/25 season, acquisitions that have quickly paid dividends. No Big Bash cricketer has taken more Power Surge wickets than Siddle, the competition\u2019s oldest player, who retired from first-class cricket in March last year.<\/p>\n
Equipped with a renewed fitness program, tailored by Stars strength-and-conditioning coach Joel Tratt, Siddle has defied age by exceeding the 140km\/h barrier this summer, keeping his Big Bash career alive longer than most would have anticipated.<\/p>\n
\u201cPete\u2019s been brilliant,\u201d Moores continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been really smart in how he\u2019s trained, how he looks after himself, and he\u2019s obviously very cricket intelligent now. He knows his body better than anybody, and he\u2019s bowled the tough overs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether the Stars would consider offering Siddle another contract extension, Moores didn\u2019t hesitate with his response.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPete\u2019s done everything he\u2019s needed to do \u2026 he\u2019s ticking every box for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see us looking anywhere else at the moment, the way Pete\u2019s playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most wickets in BBL|15<\/p>\n
18 \u2013 Haris Rauf (MS)<\/p>\n
18 \u2013 Gurinder Sandhu (MR)<\/p>\n
17 \u2013 Jack Edwards (SS)<\/p>\n
16 \u2013 Peter Siddle (MS)<\/p>\n
15 – Cooper Connolly (PS)<\/p>\n
15 \u2013 Tom Curran (MS)<\/p>\n
15 \u2013 Lloyd Pope (AS)<\/p>\n
15 \u2013 Xavier Bartlett (BH)<\/p>\n
Peter Siddle of the Stars. Photo by Morgan Hancock\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The fast bowling cartel has received support from captain Stoinis, who has taken 14 wickets at 16.21 this season, making it his most prolific Big Bash campaign with the ball in seven years. He has also produced multiple clutch performances with the bat, notably his unbeaten 32 from 22 balls against the Strikers at Adelaide Oval.<\/p>\n
Only once has a player accumulated more runs and wickets in a BBL season \u2013 Daniel Christian in 2020\/21, when the regular season was 14 matches per team.<\/p>\n
But according to Moores, Stoinis\u2019 leadership has been just as impressive.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very strong character, in that he stands up when the pressure\u2019s on and he leads from the front,\u201d Moores said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s also another side to Marcus that I don\u2019t know everybody sees all the time, certainly people on his team do, and that\u2019s the caring side. He\u2019s got his players back. He\u2019ll put an arm around them when he needs to. He\u2019ll certainly stand next to them if there\u2019s any pressure coming on, and he\u2019ll stand in front of them and try to protect them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe demands a lot from his players, but also makes sure that he\u2019s got them when the pressure\u2019s on. It\u2019s a really good combination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Review missed! Siddle’s first ball hit | 00:43<\/p>\n
\u2018FRUSTRATED\u2019 BIG SHOW GOES MISSING<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been one glaring problem in the Stars\u2019 middle order this season.<\/p>\n
Maxwell, last summer\u2019s player of the tournament, has only averaged 13.40 with the willow, reaching double figures twice across ten matches. Since thumping an unbeaten 39 against the Thunder in Canberra, the Big Show has posted scores of 1, 1, 1, 20* and 3, relegated to No. 7 in the batting order.<\/p>\n
His fielding has also been far from its best, not a reassuring trend for Australian selectors with a T20 World Cup campaign on the horizon, potentially Maxwell\u2019s last assignment in the national side.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only (Stars) player that\u2019s not playing well is Maxwell, the most important player,\u201d former Australian batter Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s hardly got past five balls in any innings. I\u2019m not sure what\u2019s going on, to be honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a little bit hot and cold at the best of times, and he could make us all silly and come out and smack 100 in the next game.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he\u2019s dropped a few catches, hasn\u2019t bowled a lot, so I\u2019m not sure where he\u2019s at. It\u2019s a bit of a worry though, leading into the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Moores warned that Maxwell was still more than capable of blowing away the opposition during the finals. The 37-year-old boasts a phenomenal record against the Hurricanes, averaging 67.70 across 18 BBL matches at an eye-watering strike rate of 185.47.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody who writes off Maxwell is a brave person, I\u2019d say,\u201d Moores said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know what he\u2019s done in the past and how well he\u2019s played on big occasions. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s frustrated, there\u2019s no doubt about that. It\u2019s frustrating when you\u2019re not getting what you want.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he loves the game. He\u2019s got such a strong passion to play. He\u2019ll be hitting his balls, doing his work and ready to go, so the game normally pays you back if you do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an exciting player for us to have not fired yet, knowing that that\u2019s still to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maxwell is a two-time World Cup winner, having also lifted the T20 World Cup in 2021, but there\u2019s still one accolade missing from his impressive resume. With his four-year contract extension at the Stars about to expire, this week could be his final chance to win a BBL title.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something everybody\u2019s aware of,\u201d Moores said of the Stars\u2019 title drought.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Glenn, it feels like a Big Bash title is something he\u2019d like to be on his CV, for someone who\u2019s committed so much to the Stars over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scorchers secure top BBL spot | 05:28<\/p>\n
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD AFTER PERTH STUMBLE<\/p>\n
Despite their blistering start to the 2025\/26 season, the Stars began the calendar year with three consecutive defeats against the Heat, Renegades and Sixers, while last week\u2019s six-wicket loss to Scorchers ensured they finished fourth on the standings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our chance,\u201d Moores said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got it down to the big game against Perth a couple of days ago, and we didn\u2019t quite have our day \u2026 we lost two or three early wickets, which hurt us, so that was our chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d love to be in the top two, but we\u2019ll happily have a go at Hobart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having missed out on a top-two finish, the Stars now need to win three straight matches on the road to secure a maiden title, by no means an easy feat. Although the odds are against them, the Big Bash League\u2019s perennial underperformers remain confident.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel better equipped this year than we did last to go on a bit of a run to try and get to the final,\u201d Moores added.<\/p>\n
The Stars will face the Hurricanes for the Knockout at Bellerive Oval on Wednesday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.15pm AEDT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Melbourne Stars\u2019 title drought eats away at Glenn Maxwell. \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said I hadn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-427602","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-top-news","12":"tag-top-stories","13":"tag-topnews","14":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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