BBL09 - The Qualifier | Sydney Sixers defeated Melbourne Stars by 43 runs at MCG

The Sydney Sixers are the first team into BBL09 after a horrific finals curse that haunts minor premiers struck down the Melbourne Stars.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 10: Glenn Maxwell of the Stars looks on during the Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Renegades and the Melbourne Stars at Marvel Stadium on January 10, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

The Melbourne Stars were the runaway minor premiers of the BBL in 2019/20 but that means very little when it gets to the finals.

In fact, the old adage that it's a new game once you make the finals has never been truer than in the BBL with the Sydney Sixers claiming a 43 run victory at the MCG.

Heading into the finals, the Stars lost three games straight, while the Sydney Sixers slid into second with three straight wins.

LIVE stream The Qualifier between the Stars and Sixers with Shane Warne in commentary as well as every KFC BBL game LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The Sixers batted first and despite an odd time of it at the crease, the side crawled to 7/142 after losing 5/32.

While it looked like the Stars were in the box seat, the Melbournians capitulated, crashing to the franchises' lowest ever score as it was bowled out for 99 in the 19th over.

WICKET | That's all folks! The Melbourne Stars have been bowled out for their lowest ever BBL score, 99. The @SixersBBL will host the #BBL09 Final.

📺 Stream #BBL09 ad-break free on Kayo: https://t.co/CfILOrTeyB

📝 Live blog: https://t.co/mHZ7BSDQO2 pic.twitter.com/qoJe0Fmd9E

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) January 31, 2020

It put the magenta men in the box seat with first being the worst in the competition with the BBL curse for the minor premiers seeing the top team losing the final in seven of nine seasons.

It was also the lowest score defended in a BBL final for the Sixers.

Luckily for the Stars, they are still alive with the top two getting a second chance in BBL09 and will face the winner of Saturday's match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Sydney Thunder.

The Stars collapsed yet again, capitulating to lose the first six wickets for 55 in 10.3 overs when Glenn Maxwell went back to the pavilion.

The Stars have made the curse even worse with their finals record, winning just two from 10 finals matches so far.

Former Melbourne Stars skipper Shane Warne unloaded on the performances.

"They haven't played for a week, remember they said we're resting players, we're changing our batting orders and they've lost three games in a row. They come and play one game in the last week and now they've got six days before they play another game when it's all about what went wrong again, why are we doing this in finals and all those questions," Warne said.

"The only way they can do it is to win a game. Otherwise you're going to have to keep facing those questions because that's fact, it's not someone trying to be nasty or anything like that, we just put up the facts. Last year in the final, you lost 7/19 against Finchy's mob, what do you call that? That's a choke. 53 runs off 43 balls with 10 wickets in hand. You should in them 95-96 times out of 100."

Social media was stunned by the result.

This is ridiculous. On both counts. #NZvIND #BBL09

— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) January 31, 2020

Melbourne Stars and New Zealand doing things we've seen before #BBL09 #NZvIND

— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 31, 2020

Vince juggles and catches Maxwell at long off! Stars look set to lose their fourth in a row, #BBL09 final and celebrity bushfire fundraiser to be played at the SCG

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) January 31, 2020

Melbourne (seeing) Stars.#BBL09

— Greg Baum (@GregBaum) January 31, 2020

Shane Warne’s having a real crack at Melbourne Stars’ record in finals. Won 2, lost 7. “Facts are facts.”
Haven’t heard him mention he was captain for three of those seasons. #BBL09

— Andrew Wu (@wutube) January 31, 2020

Has there ever been more expert chokers in oz sport than melbourne stars? Calling for nominations - other than collingwood perhaps! #BBL09 #BBL2019

— ron reed (@reedrw) January 31, 2020

Warne continued the tirade as the wickets continued to fall.

“Peter Handscomb had a go at me when I said it was all about the Melbourne Stars, who are in the final, can their big men stand up and he had a go at me because he thought I was being unfair,” Warne said.

“The problem is in the last eight years of the Big Bash this is exactly what has happened every year, bar one,” he continued, referencing the fact the Stars have reached the finals eight times but are yet to win a BBL trophy.

“Once again they are not handling the pressure of a final. This is ordinary. It has been ordinary cricket and they haven’t handled the pressure again in a final. So Peter Handscomb, you can have a go at me as much as you like but facts are facts.”

“All the questions for me are about the Melbourne Stars,” Warne said in commentary ahead of the first ball of the match."

Originally published as BBL09 - The Qualifier | Sydney Sixers defeated Melbourne Stars by 43 runs at MCG