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BBL08 Grand Final | Melbourne Renegades win Big Bash with 13 run win over Melbourne Stars

Commentators and fans from all sides have been stunned by one of the biggest chokes ever seen in the Big Bash to decide the competition.

Andrew McMurtry
7 min read
February 17, 2019 - 7:58PM
The Renegades hoist their maiden BBL title.
The Renegades hoist their maiden BBL title.

Live: BBL Final

Welcome to our live coverage of the BBL|08 final from Marvel Stadium.

The biggest game of the Big Bash season has not disappointed with one of the craziest finishes in the history of the tournament.

The Stars were cruising towards a famous victory to finally end its misery in the tournament but the Renegades have pulled out one of the most exceptional twists to stun the cricketing world.

Shane Warne reflected the feeling of all cricket fans as the stunning capitulation shocked even the champions.

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6.08pm

‘Unbelievable’ choke in ‘unlosable game’

The Melbourne Stars have reaffirmed their status as the BBLs biggest chokers snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory to hand the Melbourne Renegades its first Big Bash championship.

The Stars made the finals in all but the one tournament and were runners up once when they lost to the Sydney Thunder in BBL05.

The side seemed set to claim a maiden title at 0/93 off 12.5 overs with the atmosphere quieting down as the Stars played a chanceless innings.

But then an unbelievable choke emerged which saw the Stars lose 7/15 and completely capitulate.

Five wickets down, Fox Cricket commentator Shane Warne couldn’t fathom the Stars losing.

“If the Stars lose from here, I don’t think they’ll ever win it,” he said. “It was the unlosable game.”

Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell couldn’t believe what transpired.
Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell couldn’t believe what transpired.

Young Renegades wicketkeeper Sam Harper was stunned on the field.

“The atmosphere out here is incredible now — unbelievable,” Harper said.

“I can’t believe what’s happen here in the last 20 minutes,” Warne said.

After the match, Warne said the Stars would be shattered.

“For those men in red, they’ll sit there and giggle and say ‘I can’t believe we won the Big Bash Final’,” Warne said.

“For the men in green, they’ve got some serious questions they’ve got to ask themselves. They lost the game through reckless cricket, maybe a bit complacent and some pretty ordinary shots and they’ll be a shattered group.”

Social media was stunned by the incredible result.

The Stars were easing towards a win before the match turned on a dime and the Renegades defended a modest total of 5/145.

Renegades had never made a final and have now tasted a stunning victory.

The Renegades had struggled to a competitive score thanks to Dan Christian and Tom Cooper combining for a stunning 80-run fifth wicket partnership to save the Melbourne Renegades.

The home side was 5/65 after tight bowling early and a bit of luck with Adam Zampa taking 2/21 and Jackson Bird nabbing 2/25.

The Renegades are BBL champions.
The Renegades are BBL champions.

The run out of Aaron Finch was the big wicket with a glance of Bird’s boot ricocheting onto the stumps.

Finch is normally good at hiding his emotions and stayed calm as he walked off the field.

But as he got to the tunnel, Finch took out his frustrations on a chair, demolishing it with his bat.

The Renegades were 3/47 at the end of the power play and then 5/65 after Adam Zampa struck.

With hope nearly gone, Cooper and Christian resurrected the innings with some late order hitting.

Copper smoked two sixes to get to 43 from 35 balls, while Christian again hit an important 38 off 30 balls to get the Renegades to 5/145 from its 20 overs.

Christian also took 2/33 from four overs to give him seven tournament wins around the world to win man of the match.

“This is right up there, it’s easy to say it’s the best one, let’s say it’s the best one, it feels pretty special,” Christian said.

Dan Christian won the BBL Final man of the match.
Dan Christian won the BBL Final man of the match.

It gave the Renegades something to bowl to and makes it an intriguing second innings.

The Stars’ openers took their time with Ben Dunk and Marcus Stoinis in no hurry.

The pair cruised to a-run-a-ball 36 off the power play and only passing 60 in the ninth over with a crushing six from Stoinis.

But all of a sudden the match flipped and gave the Renegades a famous victory.

Glenn Maxwell cast an disappointed

“I am really proud, we’ve played some great cricket this tournament and to fall just short at the end is really disappointing,” Maxwell said. “There are a lot of great signs coming out of this group and going forward for next year.”

5.46pm

‘Game on’ in tense BBL decider

The Melbourne Stars appeared to be cruising towards victory but how quickly T20 cricket can turn.

The Stars went from 0/93 to 4/99 in the space of 13 balls.

It means the Stars need 47 from 30 balls but Seb Gotch and Nic Maddinson have just come to the crease.

The commentators have already declared it’s “game on”.

Ben Dunk found Dan Christian down the ground for 57 before Glenn Maxwell went for one off six balls with the tension building.

It gave the Renegades more than just a sniff.

5.37pm

‘Door opens’ after Dunk passes 50

Ben Dunk has hit 50 in the final, his third half-century of the BBL this season.

But at the other end, after a conservative partnership, Marcus Stoinis took a wild shot looking for a big six with Cameron Boyce taking his leg stump.

Stoinis opened the door slightly for the Renegades.
Stoinis opened the door slightly for the Renegades.

Mark Waugh said “I don’t think he was watching the ball”.

Then Peter Handscomb gave the Renegades a second in quick succession with a wild shot seeing him caught at mid-wicket.

4.39pm

Dunk dodges hoodoo hat-trick

Ben Dunk has had an unhappy BBL career at Marvel Stadium.

Before today, he had scored 0 runs from two games, facing just two balls.

What better day to change his luck than the BBL final?

Dunk swung hard at his first ball, slashing it away for four past third man to avoid the golden duck hat-trick.

4.20pm

Christian to the rescue again

Dan Christian and Tom Cooper combined for a stunning 80-run partnership to save the Melbourne Renegades.

The home side was 5/65 after tight bowling early and a bit of luck with Adam Zampa taking 2/21 and Jackson Bird nabbing 2/25.

The run out of Aaron Finch was the big wicket with a glance of Bird’s boot ricocheting onto the stumps.

With hope nearly gone, Cooper and Christian resurrected the innings with some late order hitting.

Copper smoked two sixes to get to 43 from 35 balls, while Christian again hit an important 38 off 30 balls to get the Renegades to 5/145 from its 20 overs.

It gives the Renegades something to bowl to and makes it an intriguing second innings.

Tom Cooper top scored for the Renegades in the Big Final.
Tom Cooper top scored for the Renegades in the Big Final.

3.33pm

Zampa tears Renegades heart out

Aussie white ball star Adam Zampa will do his World Cup hopes no damage after tearing the heart out of the Renegades top order.

After 10.2 overs, the Renegades are 5/65.

Zampa took the past two wickets with Cameron White bamboozled into an LBW before Mackenzie Harvey was beaten by a wrong’un to leave the Renegades in all sorts of trouble just after the halfway mark.

3.15pm

Finch unleashes on BBL ‘shame’

Aaron Finch was looking to play an anchor role for the Melbourne Renegades with a patient start.

Cameron White was hitting at one end and Finch was 13 off 10 balls and at the nonstrikers’ end before a freak moment destroyed his plan.

“That’s not run out is it?” Fox Cricket commentator Shane Warne said.

“Can you believe it Howie? That's a shame. He looked in unbelievable touch, like the Aaron Finch of old today. You’ve got to be kidding.”

Adam Gilchrist agree it was “stiff”.

White crunched a ball down the ground with Jackson Bird getting his foot to the ball, running Finch out after backing up.


Finch is normally good at hiding his emotions and stayed calm as he walked off the field.

But as he got to the tunnel, Finch took out his frustrations on a chair, demolishing it with his bat.

Aaron Finch prepares to demolish a chair after dismissed.
Aaron Finch prepares to demolish a chair after dismissed.

It put the Renegades under plenty of pressure at 3/47 at the end of the power play.



3.05pm

Harris slammed for early departure

Marcus Harris may have had a huge summer with the red ball, earning his baggy green and representing Australia, but his T20 form has definitely suffered.

The 26-year-old has averaged just 10.6 this BBL season before he skied a short ball after teeing off against Jackson Bird.

The early wicket is not what the Renegades wanted but the tactic in the semi-final was for the youngsters, including first drop Sam Harper, to hit out with the plenty of faith in their lower order.

But social media were quick to hit out at Harris.

Mark Waugh said they were playing “too aggressively”.

Harper was also dismissed after an aggressive swing at a short ball to have the Renegades 2/25 in the fourth over.


2.20pm

Stars win bat flip and bowl

The trend all Big Bash has been top do the chasing of you win the toss and that was no different today as Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell won the toss and sent Aaron Finch’s side in to bat.

The sides only made one change in total with the Stars bringing in Jackson Bird for Evan Gulbis.

12.50pm

Marvel Stadium evacuated

Aaron Finch and the boys were interrupted before the game.
Aaron Finch and the boys were interrupted before the game.

The afternoon’s Big Bash grand final suffered a scare early in the day when hundreds of staff at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium were forced to evacuate.

Teams and members of the public were forced out onto Bourke street, security staff at Marvel Stadium confirmed to the Herald Sun. The Age later reported a rogue smoke alarm triggered the stadium’s emergency sires, which rang for a short time and prompted the evacuation.

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