Hilton Cartwight helps lead Melbourne Stars to BBL win over Stars

The Melbourne Stars’ daring move to hold back Glenn Maxwell paid off as they kept their slim Big Bash finals hopes alive with a tense final-over victory in the Melbourne derby.

The Melbourne Stars’ daring move to hold back Glenn Maxwell paid off as they kept their slim Big Bash finals hopes alive with a tense final-over victory in the Melbourne derby.

Maxwell (20 off 10) batted at no. 6 and Hilton Cartwright (24 off 12) followed him at no. 7 as the duo mowed down 42 off the last four overs to chase down the Melbourne Renegades 7-168 with two balls to spare at the MCG.

A booming straight six from Cartwright to reduce the equation to two runs from three balls was salt in the wound of bowler Tom Rogers after he put down a relatively simple chance to remove Maxwell with 22 still needed at the end of the 18th over.

Hilton Cartwright of the Stars fields during the BBL match between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars at The Gabba, on January 01, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

The Renegades lost Jake Fraser-McGurk cheaply in a slow start as pressure mounted on the dynamic opener, but Jacob Bethell (49) and recalled veteran Jon Wells (45) rebuilt the innings with a crucial 71-run partnership before late hitting from Laurie Evans set the Stars 169 to win.

Kane Richardson was a late withdrawal due to soreness, but the Renegades unleashed Gurinder Sandhu for his club debut as he claimed 3-29 from his four overs including the big wicket of Ben Duckett for 67.

When Marcus Stoinis (48 off 35) holed out in identical fashion three balls later, the Stars were on the cusp of having their finals chances entirely snuffed out before Maxwell and Cartwright righted the ship.

The Stars’ second win in a row left them 2-5 and reduced the Renegades to a 2-4 record, leaving both up against it in the hope to secure a top-four berth.

SUMMER TO FORGET

Less than eight months ago he was taking the IPL by storm; now the pressure is mounting on Jake Fraser-McGurk’s spot in a BBL side after his dire run of form continued on Saturday night.

Backed to persist with his “six-first” approach by captain Will Sutherland before the game, the 22-year-old swung wildly at his first 12 balls and hardly connected before he got hold of a short delivery from Mark Steketee for a towering maximum over long-on.

He feathered the next ball through to the keeper and was out for a 14-ball 12, which brought his tournament tally with the bat to 67 from 65 deliveries in six innings.

Jake Fraser-McGurk of the Renegades bats during the BBL match between Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on January 04, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

The Renegades face a tough choice whether to back Fraser-McGurk to come good or explore another option like untried teenager Harry Dixon, but the numbers are starting to scream at them – the opener has not passed 26 in his 13 innings in white-ball cricket this season.

MORE SNICKO WOES

It’s been a long, hard week for fans of Australian snicko technology.

Officials encountered another head-scratching performance from the decision review aid when the Renegades went upstairs to look at a possible edge behind the wicket to remove Dan Lawrence.

The crowd grew restless during a long review in which the snicko spiked but was not aligned with the ball passing Lawrence’s bat.

A possible slight deviation of the ball was enough to reverse the umpire’s decision and send Lawrence on his way for two, leaving his partner Duckett glaring at the officials with his arms outstretched as he asked how that was sufficient evidence.

TOM ROGERS DERBY

Big Bash cricket is at its best when the two Toms-Rogers are out in the middle throwing the kitchen sink at each other.

The hotly anticipated clash arrived in the first over of the Stars’ innings when Tasmanian fast bowler Rogers took the new ball with his younger Victorian namesake on strike.

But the battle only lasted four balls, with the Stars’ Rogers squirting away a single before Gurinder Sandhu bowled him around his legs in a stunning first delivery as a Renegade.

Originally published as Hilton Cartwight helps lead Melbourne Stars to BBL win over Stars