Big Bash League final: Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Stars

To the key performances: batsmen, generally, in what is a game built for them.

Khawaja’s 70 from 40 balls was more than the core for the Thunder: the next best was Kallis’ 28, while no one else got out of the teens.

Worrall, Beer, Hilfenhaus and Gulbis - who’ve all been so good at times for the Stars - all went wicketless and got smashed.

Zampa, Stoinis and David Hussey took the wickets, but Stoinis was the most economical and even he went at 7.5 an over.

For the Stars it was a similar story, 74 from 39 for Pietersen in a brilliant and strangely responsible display, but the next best scores were 23 and 21.

The Stars probably left 10 or 20 runs out there with not enough in their last few overs.

McKay, Russell, Kallis, Ahmed and Green all went for plenty, but Green did get the key wickets, and Shane Watson returned excellent figures of 2-17 from his three overs.

In the end, the Thunder bowlers did enough to keep the Stars within reach, and then - as the women’s team did - survived some late wobbles to get over the line in the last over.

A great night to be wearing tacky pukey lime green, and a wonderful story for the Big Bash as it grows in presence and confidence and becomes more and more a part of summer as Australia knows it.

It’s been a lot of fun bringing it to you over the last couple of months, and we’ll look forward to bringing you the Twenty20 World Cup in March, after Australia tours New Zealand for two Tests and three ODIs.
Source :AFP