BBL: Haris Rauf hat-trick inspires Melbourne Stars to dominant win

Unknown to even his Melbourne Stars teammates just last month, Pakistani paceman Haris Rauf is the name of everyone’s lips after a stunning hat-trick as his side blew away Sydney Thunder.

Glenn Maxwell of the Stars falls over as he plays a shot.

Big bash revelation Haris Rauf can forever change his signature for Melbourne Stars posters after a stunning final over hat-trick propelled his team one win closer to a maiden BBL title.

The Pakistani speedster had been using “Haris 150” for his autograph given his on-going quest to bowl at 150kmh, a feat he achieved three times at the MCG in a withering spell of bowling against the Sydney Thunder.

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But it was two slower-balls at the death that netted Rauf, plucked from Tasmanian club cricket last month, the first two of three consecutive wickets in the first hat-trick in Stars history.

The MCG erupted and Rauf credited Stars captain Glenn Maxwell, who scored an unbeaten 59 and is growing in stature as a leader in every game, for keeping him calm through the hat-trick over which was supposed to be about dot balls.

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BIG HIT: HOW THE STARS SWOOPED ON UNKNOWN RAUF

Haris Rauf celebrates his hat-trick following the wicket of Daniel Sams.

“Maxwell said try for dot balls so I tried for dot balls and I got wickets,” Rauf said.

“It’s my dream playing at MCG, and dreams come true. I’m so excited.”

Rauf was only able to play after the departure of South African Dale Steyn but has stamped himself as one of the bowlers of the tournament with 13 wickets in just four matches.

Stars spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who translated for Rauf, called his teammate “brave” for taking on the final over and predicted a national call-up very soon.

Teammates get around Rauf after his hat-trick at the MCG.

“The way he bowled that over, you have to be brave to bowl that final over,” Lamicchane, who finished the match with a sore hand after trying to stop a ball hit hard his way said.

Just four days after copping a $7500 fine for a homophobic slur, Stars opener Marcus Stoinis put an exclamation point on the Stars’ emphatic six-wicket victory with his third half-century in a row, and fourth for the tournament.

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MONEY MAN MAXI

The stature of Glenn Maxwell as a leader continues to grow through this BBL season, and his efforts with Haris Rauf were indicative of that. But it’s his business with the bat which remains “box office” and the Stars skipper iced the game with two overs of take down batting which showed why he earned a $2.2 million IPL deal. He swatted four fours and a six in a 10-ball flurry which killed any Thunder hopes. He also became the Stars’ all-time leading run-scorer.

Glenn Maxwell’s leadership has been a driving force in the Stars’ ascendancy.

GOLDEN BOYS

Thunder captain Callum Ferguson took the field wearing the golden cap as the BBL’s leading run-scorer, after passing Stars slugger Marcus Stoinis with a six off Melbourne spinner Sandeep Lamicchane when Sydney batted first. Ferguson continued to wear the cap in the field for the entire Stars innings too despite Stoinis quickly re-taking the mantle when he smashed Jonathan Cook for 14 off his first over, including a huge straight six. Stoinis finished 43 clear of the chasing pack with runs for the season.

Marcus Stoinis continues to rack up the numbers with the bat.

ALL CLEAR FOE SANDEEP

With Stars spinner Adam Zampa off to India with the Australian one-day team there were a few nervous moments when teammate and fellow tweaker Sandeep Lamicchane sat with an ice-pack on his bowling hand during Melbourne’s innings. But the Nepalese spinner, who will be his team’s No. 1 spinner from now, was given the all clear and was just sore after trying to stop a return rocket from Thunder batsman Alex Hales earlier in the night.

Maxwell can smile after hitting the deck after playing an unconventional shot.

WAITING FOR MADDO?

Winning can always cover a few gaps but how long can the Stars afford to wait until Nic Maddinson finds his best. In 18 innings for the green team, after coming to Melbourne on a big three-year deal having starred for the Sydney Sixers, the left-hander has been mostly yuck. He was swinging like a rusty gate early again and run-out going for a ridiculous second run. It took his BBL haul this season to just 81 runs from seven innings, on the back of just 115 in 11 bats last year.

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Originally published as BBL: Haris Rauf hat-trick inspires Melbourne Stars to dominant win