Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades live score: Big Bash Melbourne derby

A DAY after Bob Hawke skolled a beer at the SCG, Aaron Finch spilt Michael Beer into all parts of the MCG to ensure the Renegades cemented their dominance against the winless Stars. RECAP ALL THE ACTION

AARON Finch looks a man on a mission.

Seemingly fed up with Melbourne Renegades’ underwhelming past, he has worn a steely game face in public and in private. No more joking around. At Kardinia Park on Wednesday Finch wouldn’t be drawn into post-match TV banter and he has fielded with contagious energy. Finch’s batting this season began with three false start and while previously that would’ve been calamitous for the red team, this season’s beefed-up support helped deliver two wins regardless. FOLLOW TONIGHT’S ACTION IN OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW Finch then whacked Sydney Sixers at Geelong. Tonight he bashed the glow out of the Melbourne Stars’ attack in astonishing fashion A day after Bob Hawke skolled a beer at the SCG, Finch spilt Michael Beer into all parts of the MCG to ensure the Renegades cemented their dominance against the winless Stars. Beer’s first five deliveries to Finch cost 22 runs as the Renegades captain crunched the first six balls he faced for five fours and one six. It was the first time a batsman has belted six boundaries to start his Big Bash innings and Beer’s 0-23 was the most expensive second over ever delivered. Game over. The Stars’ 4-157 was never going to be enough after Finch’s fireworks. The Renegades walked it in and sent the Stars’ season spiralling towards oblivion at 0-4. The Gades surged to top of ladder on the back of tonight’s victory, while the Stars sit on the bottom. Is Gayle interested in Big Bash return? Stars players fighting for new contracts The green team has now lost seven in a row. The red team has won six of its past seven. Sadly, Finch won’t be around to see out his mission. Monday’s match against Perth Scorchers will be Finch’s last as he departs for ODI duties. But the Colac clouter has steered the red team to 4-1 and it is primed for a shot at the championship. In the background, Finch and coach Andrew McDonald have been working overtime crafting plans to unsettle opponents. They’ve come off. No batsman has scored a half-century against the Renegades’ eclectic attack. Last summer Finch surprisingly opened with Sunil Narine in the MCG derby and tonight he surprisingly promoted Narine’s replacement, Mohammad Nabi, to No.4. Both worked. Adam Zampa’s wrong-un did Finch on 43 (22), but Nabi took his place and then lifted the leggie for two sixes to continue the onslaught. Nabi has been one of the signings of the season. Stingy with the ball, slick with the stick. He will be missed when replaced by Kieron Pollard later in the season. At the halfway mark the Renegades needed just 62 runs from 60 deliveries with plenty of artillery left. To borrow a line from Stars chairman Eddie McGuire’s Collingwood theme song, it was a cakewalk. For the first time in seven summers, the Stars simply aren’t up to it. Opener Luke Wright was dismissed for just 12. Was it the wrong move to play the out-of-sorts Wright? Seb Gotch is waiting for his chance. Ben Dunk played the traditional cricket shots largely absent from the Stars’ first three losses and finally delivered the runs the Stars banked on when they signed him. “A breath of fresh air,” batting coach David Hussey said. But that freshness faded as the Stars were unable to crank out of third gear. The Renegades cramped up Glenn Maxwell and the slashing star was unable to free up his hands to generate ball speed. Marcus Stoinis hit just one boundary in an unbeaten 24 (24). The fireworks were confined to the pyrotechnicians. The green team had come out swinging but its late overs lacked boundary-finding punch. Chris Gayle, a guest of bat sponsor Spartan, sat in the stands near McGuire. Eddie needed the six-machine in the centre. Instead he’s unlikely to ever return to the Big Bash, with international contracts requiring a squiggle from the unforgiving Cricket Australia. And so the Stars were rendered to 4-157, about 20 runs short of what they wanted although about 10 runs more than it should’ve been courtesy of several Renegades misfields. It is lights out for the Stars. And the Renegades continue to light up this season.