Recent Match Report - Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, Big Bash League 2021, 56th Match
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Melbourne Stars 2 for 273 (Maxwell 154*, Stoinis 75*) beat Hobart Hurricanes 6 for 167 (McDermott 55, Couch 3-30) by 106 runs
Glenn Maxwell’s all-out assault on Hobart Hurricanes netted him and Melbourne Stars the highest scores in BBL history, handing Hurricanes a reality check with a 106-run hammering on the eve of the finals.
Maxwell thumped an unbeaten 154 from 64 balls at the MCG, smashing 22 boundaries and four sixes in the most brutal display of hitting in the competition’s history.
It helped the Stars to a record total of 2 for 273, 41 more than the next best in BBL history and the third highest in any franchise or international T20 game in history. Only totals made by Afghanistan and the Czech Republic have been higher, with those matches against fellow minnows Ireland and Turkey.
Maxwell’s score was also the ninth highest in T20 history, after Hurricanes opted to rest Scott Boland and Riley Meredith.
He dominated Hurricanes all round the wicket, with the shot of the night an outrageous switch-hit flick over fly-slip for six. His century was the second-fastest in BBL history, coming in 41 balls and just two shy of Craig Simmons’s 39-ball effort in 2014.
The right-hander helped take 21 off one D’Arcy Short over, while he hit five boundaries for 22 runs off another from Sandeep Lamichhane.
Maxwell was not alone with Marcus Stoinis also finishing unbeaten on 75 from 31 balls. On the same night he lost his record for the highest score in BBL history, Stoinis also showed Hurricanes no mercy.
He launched six balls over the rope, also taking 26 from a Tim David over as no Hurricanes bowler went at an economy rate below 10.
In reply, Hobart never looked interested in the chase as they finished at 6 for 167 with Ben McDermott top-scoring with 55 from 33.
Maxwell’s knock will serve as a great ‘what-if?’ for Stars fans, after they finished the season at 7-7 and with two losses with the bulk of their squad out with Covid-19.
“The disappointment of the last week probably culminated in us playing with ultimate freedom,” Maxwell said on Seven’s coverage. “It’s been a real tough year. I have had plenty of injuries, COVID, and pretty much every result go against us.
“A lot of things have to go right for that to happen. I had great support the whole way through.”
Meanwhile, Hurricanes’ loss means they still finish fifth and face Adelaide in an Eliminator on Friday, but all of a sudden with a serious dent to their momentum.
The first three finals will each be played in Melbourne, with the challenger and decider to be at home venues. Perth will use Marvel Stadium as their home, while locked out of Western Australia.
Glenn Maxwell smashes biggest ever Big Bash score in record Melbourne Stars total
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Melbourne Stars power-hitter Glen Maxwell has broken the record for the most runs in an individual Big Bash inning after an extraordinary performance against the Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Wednesday night.
Maxwell smashed 154 not out off only 64 balls, with 22 fours and four sixes, as the Stars set a Big Bash record total of 2/273 off their 20 overs for the Hurricanes to chase.
His mammoth innings surpassed the 147 made by Stars team-mate Marcus Stoinis in 2020, who was ironically at the non-striker’s end when Maxwell surpassed his Big Bash record.
Melbourne Stars total of 273 smashed the previous Big Bash record of 235 set by the Thunder last season, and was third highest score in T20 history, behind the 278 achieved by both Afghanistan and Czech Republic in 2019.
But the individual batting performance of the night belonged to Maxwell, who belted 42 runs off the first four overs in a stunning display of hitting, before bringing up his 50 off only 20 deliveries - the quickest of his illustrious T20 career.
Maxwell continued to slay the Hurricanes’ attack and brought his century up off only 41 balls, which was the second fastest in Big Bash history, behind Craig Simmons’ ton off only 39 balls in the 2013-14 competition.
However Maxwell wasn’t finished yet, as he continued on to score 150-plus and along with Stoinis, who contributed 75, to help the Stars to their record team total.
Earlier in the night, Melbourne Renegades spinner Cameron Boyce achieved an extraordinary bowling feat, snaring a double hat-trick against the Sydney Thunder.
The leg-spinner was able to dismiss Alex Hales (44) off the final ball of his first over, before taking three wickets in a row to begin his second over.
Jason Sangha ran past one and got stumped, Alex Ross tried for a reverse-sweep it on the hat-trick delivery and was trapped in front LBW, before finally Daniel Sams played all around one and was struck on the pads as well.
The Buzz: Maxi only as good as Stoinis?
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All the bantz, the jousts, and little bit of eavesdropping from the social media playground and beyond
Jan 19
Marcus Stoinis on Glenn Maxwell’s 154*:
“I’ve only really seen something similar once in my life, when I watched the replay of my own innings.”
#BBL11 pic.twitter.com/IWTHb4XGT7 — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 19, 2022
@gilly381 @MarkHoward03 I have no doubt someone will break the fastest 100 record eventually , but I don’t reckon anyone will work in the morning before playing then grab chicken treat on the way to the ground #wellplayedmaxi — craig simmons (@craigsimmons13) January 19, 2022
Rashid Khan invents a new shot
Is this a new version of Paul Collingwood’s famous “nurdle”?
The rivalry
Even with the ball, competing with Sunil Gavaskar is hard!
This stunning grab by @rohangava9 on his ODI debut 18 yrs ago gave me my fav cricket quiz question that I’ve used often in my quizzes because the answer stuns the participants too. Which is the only father-son pair to have taken a wicket in their 1st over in ODIs?
Ans -GAVAKSARS pic.twitter.com/Dso7CMlgKI — TheRandomCricketPhotosGuy (@RandomCricketP1) January 18, 2022
Yastika’s music training
Upside of quarantine: it gives you 10,000 hours of practice
Quarantine day 3… exciting times ahead pic.twitter.com/exRdDgoWmN — Yastika Bhatia (@YastikaBhatia) January 18, 2022
Andy Balbirnie’s week in pictures
Jan 18
The police bust the Ashes afterparty
The Ashes afterparty apparently got a bit too wild for first-time hosts Hobart. The cops showed up and Joe Root, Jimmy Anderson, Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey and Travis Head were reportedly asked to please go take a nap after they stayed up all night drinking at a Hobart hotel.
The first and last time #Hobart will host an #Ashes test… ‘Bit too loud’ .. Awesome pic.twitter.com/zdZ4dmcsf6 — Matt de Groot (@mattdegroot_) January 18, 2022
They’d also hit up Salamanca Market with the Barmy Army for some raucous sing-alongs. These blokes sure know how to party after three long days on the field.
Jan 17
Enjoying the Ashes win together
Team-mates celebrating together are more important than wasting champagne - Pat Cummins understands that.
And Usman Khawaja appreciates it.
If this video doesn’t show you that the boys have my back, I don’t know what will. They stopped their normal champagne celebrations so I could rejoin. Inclusivity in the game and our values as a sport are so important. I feel like we are trending in the right direction https://t.co/LrthzP9v2N — Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) January 17, 2022
BBL cricket 2022: Glenn Maxwell century, largest score in history, Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes
Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell has shattered the record books with an “outrageous” batting performance at the MCG.
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Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has made history with the largest individual score in the Big Bash League, cracking 154 off 64 balls against the Hobart Hurricanes on Wednesday evening.
The Melbourne Stars captain brought up his century in just 41 deliveries at the MCG, helping his side shatter the all-time Big Bash record for largest team score.
Celebrating his 100th BBL match, Maxwell narrowly fell short of breaking the record for fastest Big Bash century, a 39-ball ton from Perth Scorchers opener Craig Simmons in January 2014.
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But he wasn’t done there, continuing his brutal onslaught of the Hurricanes bowling attack to become the first cricketer to reach 150 in a BBL innings.
It was a vintage Maxwell masterclass, validating his “Big Show” moniker. The 33-year-old was finding the boundary rope with ease, regardless of what absurd stroke he attempted.
Maxwell, who recently suffered a bout of Covid-19, had earlier brought up his half-century in just 20 deliveries, making it the quickest of his career. He also broke the record for most boundaries in a T20 innings with 22, the previous best being 20.
“He’s truly box office, to turn it on like this, you cannot look away,” former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
“Whenever he’s at the crease you just do not want to miss a delivery.
“What a thrill to witness that. You always know there’s something exciting happening around Glenn Maxwell.”
New South Wales paceman and Channel 7 presenter Trent Copeland tweeted: “That is just flat out ridiculous striking. Thank god I don’t have ball in hand.”
Fox Sports presenter Kath Loughnan posted: “One way to jazz up a dead rubber. What a freak.”
The Evening Standard’s Will Macpherson tweeted: “Genuine abuse of Hobart Hurricanes from Glenn Maxwell atm.”
Fastest centuries in the Big Bash League
39 balls — Craig Simmons vs AS, Jan 2014
41 balls — Glenn Maxwell vs HH, Jan 2022
44 balls — Luke Wright vs HH, Jan 2012
47 balls – Ben McDermott vs MR, Jan 2017
48 balls – Callum Ferguson vs PS, Jan 2019
48 balls – Matthew Wade vs AS, Jan 2020
The previous highest individual score in Big Bash history was an unbeaten 147 by Stars teammate Marcus Stoinis in January 2020 — and it seemed apt that he was at the other end for the majority of Maxwell’s record-breaking innings.
Stoinis complimented his skipper beautiful, smashing 75 not out off 31 balls to help the Stars register a mind-boggling team total of 2/273 — which was also comfortably a Big Bash record.
It was the third-largest team total in any professional T20 cricket match in history, falling five runs short of the all-time record set by Afghanistan in February 2019.
The powerful 32-year-old struck six sixes and four fours, showing no respect for the hapless Hurricanes bowlers.
Unfortunately for the Stars, Wednesday’s T20 contest was branded a dead rubber as the men in green could not qualify for the finals series irrespective of the result.
But Maxwell’s stunning knock has given Stars fans something to cheer after a tumultuous summer for the Melbourne-based franchise.
“A lot of things have to go right for something like that to happen,” Maxwell told Channel 7.
“I had great support the whole way through … it’s still a nice feeling to finish this tournament with a really nice innings.”
Highest individual scores in Big Bash League history
154* — Glenn Maxwell vs HH, Jan 2022
147* — Marcus Stoinis vs SS, Jan 2020
130* — Matthew Wade vs AS, Jan 2020
127 — Ben McDermott vs MR, Dec 2021
122* — D’Arcy Short vs BH, Jan 2018
Glenn Maxwell of the Stars. Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images
This was not Maxwell’s first century of the tournament — the T20 World Cup champion belted 103 from only 57 balls against the Sydney Sixers in December, with the Stars suffering a seven-wicket defeat.
Maxwell also becomes just the second cricketer to score multiple centuries in a Big Bash tournament, joining Hurricanes gloveman Ben McDermott.
“He’s a freak it’s as simple as that,” former England captain Michael Vaughn said on Fox Cricket.
“He makes bowler’s shiver with the shots he can play, the power, skill levels. Pure entertainer.”
Over on Channel 7’s coverage, former Australian batter Brad Hodge tore the “dreadful” Hurricanes to shreds — none of the club’s eight bowlers conceded less than 10 runs per over.
“What it was, it was a perfect marriage. It was a perfect marriage of ball-striking mixed with horrible bowling from the Hobart Hurricanes,” he said.
“They were dreadful. You know what, class punished them tonight. They got what they deserved.”
Largest team totals in the Big Bash League
273/2 — Melbourne Stars vs HH, Jan 2022
232/5 — Sydney Thunder vs SS, Jan 2021
223/8 — Hobart Hurricanes vs MR, Jan 2017
222/4 — Melbourne Renegades vs HH, Jan 2017
The Hurricanes ultimately suffered a 106-run defeat, with the men in purple mustering just 6/167 from their 20 overs in response.
McDermott top-scored for the Hurricanes with 55 off 33 balls, pushing him up to sixth spot on the all-time ladder for most runs in a BBL series.
The Hurricanes will next face the Adelaide Strikers in The Eliminator at the MCG on Friday evening.
Originally published as ’Unbelievable’: Glenn Maxwell plays greatest BBL knock ever, makes history
Kings eyeing Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis
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The Kings were not willing to entertain the thought of trading De’Aaron Fox last summer when they started surveying the market for a transformational move to alter the course of the franchise, but the situation in Sacramento has changed. A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have stepped up their pursuit of Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis and they are including Fox in those discussions. Fox was so far off the table he wasn’t discussed when the Kings approached the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons last summer, sources with knowledge of the talks told The Bee, but now Fox is reportedly part of those conversations as well. -via Sacramento Bee / January 19, 2022