Melbourne Stars force their way into BBL final with upset of ladder-leading Hobart Hurricanes

Daniel Worrall improved his Ashes cause with career-best Twenty20 figures to rock Hobart and help put the Melbourne Stars into Sunday’s Big Bash League final. 

• Key stat Stars are desperate to avoid in BBL semi
• Hurricanes retain 'full faith' in erratic young gun

An inspired spell from the Hurricanes’ late season secret weapon was not enough to snap the Big Bash minor premiership curse as the Melbourne Stars terminated Hobart’s title dreams on Thursday night.

The Hurricanes became the sixth side to finish on top of the ladder at the end of the home and away season only to fail to reach the final in eight BBL editions, going down by six wickets having been undone by a career best performance from Daniel Worrall.

Afghan teenage spin whiz Qais Ahmad (3-33) single handedly kept the hosts in the contest with a brilliant showing of his own, but ultimately the 7-153 they were forced to defend proved under par in the team’s first defeat at Blundstone Arena this year.

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Daniel Worrall produced a stunning spell of bowling to rock the Hurricanes early.

Compounding the result was a serious injury to former Australian captain George Bailey, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder diving to stop a ball on the boundary in an effort which could put the rest of his summer in doubt.

Calls for the competition to introduce a double chance for the top two sides will only grow louder after Hobart - which set its season up with a rollicking 9-1 start - crashed out to an outfit which had played in six previous semi-finals and lost five of them.

Swing king Worrall was the hero for the visitors with his best T20 figures of 4-23, ripping the heart out of Hobart’s top order with two wickets in the second over of the clash.

Matt Wade has been a star all tournament, but couldn't fire in the semi-final.

Melbourne’s chances immediately skyrocketed when the tournament’s most dynamic batting combination in Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short failed to get off the ground after Wade was caught behind, and when leading run scorer Short (35 from 21 balls) blew a start by falling in the last over of the powerplay Hobart was teetering at 3-42.

Ben McDermott (53 from 42) and Bailey (37) led the fightback with a 75-run partnership but when they fell in the space of two overs at the death the Canes were unable to finish with the blast they needed to push the total to somewhere near par.

Ahmad, who signed as a replacement import for Tymal Mills two games out from the finals, did his best to keep the Hurricanes alive, bamboozling Marcus Stoinis with a peach of a leg spinner before adding Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson to his scalps.

Glenn Maxwell played a composed, matchwinning knock.

However Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell - who produced one of the best knocks seen in the BBL last Sunday to lift his team into the semis - again stood tall to steer his troops home.

Maxwell was unbeaten on 43, combining with Seb Gotch (33 not out) for a 72-run stand to secure victory with seven balls remaining.

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Originally published as Melbourne Stars force their way into BBL final with upset of ladder-leading Hobart Hurricanes