Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars, Knockout, Big Bash League 2025-26 - Commentary

That wraps up our coverage from this match. We’ll return on Friday with all the action from the clash between the Sydney Sixers and the Hobart Hurricanes. Until then, thanks for joining us, see you soon.

Marcus Stoinis | Melbourne Stars captain: Look, it’s always tough to end the season like that. But at the end of the day, they played good cricket, it was always going to be one of those games. I’m glad it came down to the wire, it deserved to. So it is what it is, really. No, no, it (Harper - retired out) wasn’t a big decision really. We didn’t know if they were going to bowl the second over of spin, and if they did, we were going to send Maxi in. Harper was clear about that as well. We actually didn’t even have to talk about it, it was pretty simple with that long left in the game. I think it was only 12 balls at that stage, so that was pretty straightforward. It’s one that we’re going to reflect on. Just to think that we were so close to the top two, and then to end up travelling for the final and then obviously this rain-affected game. But it is what it is, both teams played in it and they played well.

Beau Webster | Player of the Match: A few heart-stopping moments there, especially in that last five minutes. Obviously a very dangerous Stars outfit. We saw at the end there the immense power they’ve got. They’ve had a great season and, you know, once again just fallen short. But they put up a great fight today. Very, very happy with our boys to get through a rain-interrupted fixture where we probably thought we weren’t going to play too much. Then we had 10 and then 7 (overs), and it was a bit chaotic, but we got across the line. Yeah, it was a little bit difficult with reduced overs, so I just had to sort of set a target. I only know what’s going to be a good score. I was looking at their XI being lucky, I think we needed a few more with the amount of power they’ve got. I was a little bit scratchy at the middle and managed to finish it off nicely then. Just snuck home. Yeah, next-man-up mentality. Billy hasn’t played a hell of a lot this year, but he’s a class player. We’ve seen what he can do with the ball, so he steps in and does a great job. Whoever comes in feels like they can do a good job. We’ve got good depth here. Another quality outfit, some good Australian players in there (Sydney Sixers), Steve (Smith) is in good form. Starc’s doing what he does. We’re going to have to be at our best, no doubt.

23:01 Local Time, 12:01 GMT, 17:31 IST: Hobart Hurricanes edge a step closer to the final, sealing a place in the Challenger where they will meet the Sydney Sixers on Friday. Carrying the favourites’ tag after finishing third in the league stage, the Hurricanes played with authority from the moment play finally began following a prolonged rain delay. With the overs reduced, Hobart’s batters wasted no time in asserting themselves. They compiled a more than competitive 114 in 10 overs, anchored by a fluent 47 from Beau Webster. He was ably supported at the death by Nikhil Chaudhary, whose explosive 24-run cameo that was powered by three towering sixes, swung momentum in Hobart’s favour. In response, the Melbourne Stars struggled to find early rhythm. A tentative opening over set the tone and the pressure quickly mounted when Riley Meredith struck in his first over to dismiss Thomas Rogers, leaving the Stars on the back foot. Rain returned once more to further curtail the contest, revising the chase to a demanding 85 from 7 overs. After play resumed, the Stars’ batters responded with intent, taking the positive option and finding boundaries at regular intervals to keep the contest alive. The chase tightened with every over and the finish came right down to the final moments. In the end, though, the Hobart Hurricanes held their nerve, edging past the Stars by a narrow margin of 3 runs in a tense finish..

Equation: 5 runs needed in 1 ball

Equation: 11 runs needed in 2 balls. A few changes in the field made by the Hurricanes

Mitchell Owen to Stoinis, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Equation: 26 runs required in 6 balls