Melbourne Stars show they have big tickets to win BBL Final lottery after crushing Sydney Thunder

If the weather gods allow enough play in the BBL final to secure a result, Melbourne Stars showed in their win over Sydney Thunder that they can get the job done in double quick time.

Nick Larkin struck an unbeaten 83 off just 49 balls to set up victory for the Stars.

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The Big Bash Grand Final is certain to either be a rain-shortened lottery or total washout, and Melbourne Stars have two Powerballs.

They are Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis and they should open the batting when the club plays in its third decider in five seasons on Saturday night.

Maxwell faced just six balls on the night, but a promotion into the top order would strike fear in a Sydney Sixers attack already dreading a “Five5” shootout for the silverware.

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Marcus Stoinis came to the party for Melbourne Stars to snap a losing run for the franchise.

While No.3 Nick Larkin (83 not-out off 49) got sparkin’ in the 28-run crush of Sydney Thunder, the game plan has to be to stack the top order should the SCG covers come off.

That should mean Maxwell, Stoinis, Pete Handscomb and Larkin are the top four, with occasional and out-of-form openers Nic Maddinson and Seb Gotch taking a back seat in the big dance.

The Stars surfed into soggy Sydney on the back of Larkin, the kid who played a game for Sixers in 2016, and Stoinis.

But midway through their 117-run partnership it seemed Stars – yes, the Stars – needed a wicket, as the run-rate plateaued.

Then, Larkin hit 21 off seven balls with textbook shots that restored Stars to the galaxy they haven’t visited since the first half of the season.

When Nathan Coulter-Nile got rid of openers Alex Hales (run-out) and Usman Khawaja (bowled) cheaply, and then conceded just six runs off the 16th over, the Stars were on track to lift their finals record to 3-8.

Nick Larkin struck an unbeaten 83 off just 49 balls to set up victory for the Stars.

HEY SIXERS, REMEMBER BBL04?

Sorry Cricket Australia, but BBL is an entertainment product and shifting the Grand Final to Marvel Stadium was the perfect solution to Sydney’s incoming torrential rain.

A neutral venue with a roof … what a win for broadcasters and fans, which are meant to be the “magic sauce” of the BBL.

Oh, and Perth should’ve hosted Sixers at the WACA Ground in the 2015 final, but it was instead held at Manuka Oval in a bizarre ruling made pre-season.

But a neutral venue works OK in the Super Bowl, doesn’t it?

Steve Smith and Moises Henriques lifting the trophy in one hand with umbrellas in the other will be a poor look.

FAT DONATION, THIN CROWD

If Stars win a final and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

The answer is yes – and that sound is Spice Girls and S Club 7 teenage pop hits, which blasted across an empty MCG by Thursday night’s DJ.

The 13,067 crowd looked as thin as celery soup, with just 53,336 attending the first four BBL finals and the Grand Final set for rain. But credit to the MCC, which on Thursday night kicked off donations to The Big Appeal with $200,000.

The Stars attack took early wickets to strangle Sydney Thunder’s run chase.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE FOR THUNDER

Chris Morris should’ve been on a hat-trick with both Stars openers gone in consecutive balls.

But keeper Jay Lenton – who could become a father on Friday – put down the mother of all drops when Stoinis was on 19.

The leg-side chance was embarrassingly easy, and he had to signal to the bowler that it was his fault the umpire’s finger stayed down. Nick Larkin was then dropped on eight as Sams spilt an outfield catch for four. Both batsmen roared to 83 as Thunder struck out amid a flurry of sloppy misfields.

BOWLERS START ON BACK FOOT

Marcus Stoinis slammed Jono Cook’s second ball for a flat six, flicked Chris Tremain’s second ball for three, cut golden-capper Daniel Sams’ first ball for four and rocked Nathan McAndrew’s first ball over mid-on to the rope.

Yes, four of Thunder’s first five bowlers were blasted on to the back foot as soon as they were brought into the game.

It was a statement from Stoinis, and Stars are now 6-1 when he reaches 50 this season.

SELECTION SURPRISE

Tim Paine couldn’t believe Thunder dropped wicket-taker Brendon Doggett for Nathan McAndrew (0-17 off two overs), given Doggett was a natural match-up for all of Maxwell, Stoinis and Handscomb.

Meanwhile, if Ben Dunk couldn’t get a game after last week’s franchise-low collapse then you wonder whether he ever will again. The problem is Dunk, 33 next month, has two years to run on a problematic contract. Would anyone be open to a trade?

Originally published as Melbourne Stars show they have big tickets to win BBL Final lottery after crushing Sydney Thunder