‘Emotion comes out’: Melbourne Stars in bid for unlikely BBL finals spot

The Stars will lose a key cog in their batting lineup after Sunday’s blockbuster Melbourne derby, but another batter is looking “a class above”.

Marcus Stoinis says Glenn Maxwell’s matchwinning performance on the same day as a disappointing Test squad snub “speaks volumes” about his class as the Melbourne Stars hunt an unlikely Big Bash finals berth.

After a soul-searching period at the midway point of the season following a 0-5 start and an eight-match losing streak, the Stars moved to only two wins from a top-four finish with the 17-run win over the Sydney Sixers on Thursday night.

The victory over the top-placed Sixers tightened the ladder to just one-and-a-half games between first and seventh on the ladder, and set up a cutthroat Melbourne derby rematch on Sunday at Marvel Stadium.

Melbourne Stars veteran Glenn Maxwell (left) on his way to 58 off 32 balls in a matchwinning performance at the MCG on Thursday night. Picture: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Stoinis said he could see both sides of the decision to leave Maxwell out of Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka, but praised the all-rounder for his blistering 58 not out which had made him look “a class above” on a slow MCG pitch.

“(Maxwell) might be disappointed about the Test squad … there’s arguments for him to be in that,” Stoinis said after the game.

“He took ownership, controlled the (power) surge, controlled the back end, batted on a different wicket compared to a lot of us … it just speaks volumes about how classy and how skilled he is.

“I haven’t actually looked at the whole squad … I do know he’s a brilliant player of spin, and I do know he’d be well equipped to deal with Sri Lanka.

“But I also know the boys are going so well, they’ve qualified for the World Test Championship (final), so it also might be an opportunity to try a few things.”

Stoinis went to the sidelines for the second-last over of the match and stretched his calves as Maxwell took over the captaincy, but he played the incident off as “just cramp” ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash against the Melbourne Renegades.

Prolific opener Ben Duckett will aim to go out with a bang against the Melbourne Renegades on Sunday in his final BBL game before heading into England’s camp. Picture: Mike Owen / Getty Images

It will be Stars opener Ben Duckett’s final game this season before his departure for English commitments, while compatriot Jacob Bethell will play his last home game for the Renegades.

Middle-order dasher Laurie Evans has already left the Renegades to join the ILT20 in the UAE.

If the Stars carried on into the finals they would need to win without Duckett and newly minted Test all-rounder Beau Webster, but Stoinis said a change in mindset as much as personnel had helped them turn around their fortunes in the past 10 days.

“We have tweaked a few things, but it’s mainly just doing what we were doing before, just a little bit longer,” he said.

“Even personally, batting a little bit longer, bringing the partnerships a little bit deeper into the game.

“Maxi and I have been here for 100 games each, we love this club. As much as anyone I think in the comp, we want our club to be back at the top where we know it should be.

“These wins mean a lot to us … it’s a team that’s part of our career for a long time, so I guess that emotion just comes out.”

Originally published as ‘Emotion comes out’: Melbourne Stars in bid for unlikely BBL finals spot