Haris Raufthree-for-three and Joe Clarke‘s fiery shot powered Melbourne Stars to victory over the team Sydney Thunder. In the 14th match Major League Soccer 2025-26 Table-toppers Melbourne Stars thrashed Sydney Thunder for nine wickets in 36 balls, chasing down 129 with just 14 balls to spare at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Haris Rauf dismantled Sydney Thunder with brilliant bowling
Sydney Thunder’s batting collapsed on a good Canberra surface as the Melbourne Stars captain was bowled out for just 128 in their full quota of 20 overs. Marcus Stoinis won the toss and elected to bowl first. Despite offering plenty of pitch to hit, the Thunder failed to gain momentum after a promising start.
Openers Constas himself and Matthew Gilkes started positively and took his score to 33 inside the powerplay. Gilkes looked particularly aggressive, hitting a boundary and two sixes, but the first spark was extinguished when Rauf used his slow ball smartly to hit him over mid-wicket. Constas soon followed Mitchell SwepsonTriggers a fixed scroll for Thunder.
Installed as pressure David Warner failed to convert his start and Stoinis was caught in the deep Cameron Bancroft‘s stay at scratch ended lbw for Swepson after a failed review. At 63 for four, the Thunder were in trouble and badly in need of a partnership.
Sam Billings and Shadab Khan tried to recover, added some stability and brought his total closer to 90. However, Rauf came back during a power surge and swung the game decisively in favor of the Stars, shutting out Billings and then Chris Green with well-disguised variations. When the middle row was canceled, the lower row showed little resistance. Tom Curran and Peter Siddle The Thunder cleaned up the tail as they slipped from a position of hope to another batting disappointment, losing their last five wickets cheaply. Rauf’s sharp spell stood out as the determining factor in the collapse
Also READ: Sam Harper’s explosive ton leads Melbourne Stars to a dominant win over Sydney Sixers in BBL|15.
Joe Clarke’s thunderous knock gave Melbourne Stars command
Joe Clarke Produced a brilliant opening act that showed attacking intent from the start of the chase to set up a comfortable win for the Melbourne Stars. Clarke reached 60 off just 37 deliveries, hitting the boundary with eight crisp fours and a powerful six. Next to it Sam Harperhe kept the Stars flying out of the blocks and racked up fifty of them, just over 3.6 on the power play. Clarke reached his half-century off just 29 balls, dispatching confidently Ryan Hadley with elegant flicks and powerful cuts, the opening pair put together an 86-run stand. That’s when the breakthrough finally came Chris Green He dismissed Clarke for 86 at 9.4 for 1, but by then the damage was done.
With a solidly built platform, Harper and Glenn Maxwell quietly led the Stars home without a hiccup. Harper remained unbeaten on 29 off 27 balls while Maxwell added the finishing touches with an aggressive 39 off 20 balls, hitting five boundaries and clearing the ropes twice. Maxwell was particularly fond of Shadab and Tanveer Sanghaensuring that the chase never goes off course. Stars reached 100 in just 11.1 overs and were never under pressure like the Thunder bowlers. Daniel Sams and Ryan Hadley struggling to stem the flow of running. The crucial win keeps the Melbourne Stars unbeaten with four wins from four matches and comfortably on top of the BBL|15 standings, while the Sydney Thunder continue to lose momentum in their campaign.
Four wins. Zero loss.
These are @StarsBBL they shine in it #BBL15 🌟 pic.twitter.com/axshOfR4Lh
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 28, 2025
Also WATCH: Tom Curran knocks down Jason Sangha’s stumps in BBL|15
