Dwarshuis stars as Sixers extend BBL winning streak against Stars

News Desk 

Islamabad: Sydney Sixers extended their winning run in the Big Bash League with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Melbourne Stars after bowling out the hosts for a modest total at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night.

Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis led the Sixers’ bowling attack with an impressive four-wicket haul as the Stars were dismissed for 128 in 19.5 overs. The disciplined bowling display allowed the visitors to chase down the target with ease, reaching 129 for four with several overs to spare.

Josh Philippe top-scored for the Sixers with 35 off 25 balls, while Lachlan Shaw (24 not out off 14) and Jordan Silk guided the side home after a steady middle-order effort. Stars captain Marcus Stoinis fought back with the ball, finishing with figures of 2 for 21 from four overs.

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Earlier, Joel Davies applied the brakes with the ball, claiming 2 for 15 as the Stars struggled to gain momentum after being sent in to bat. Blake Macdonald (33 off 22) and Stoinis (33 off 35) were the top scorers for the home side, but both were dismissed by Dwarshuis.

Dwarshuis came close to creating history in the 18th over when he bowled a double-wicket maiden, removing Stoinis and Haris Rauf off consecutive deliveries. However, he narrowly missed out on becoming the first Sixers men’s player to claim a hat-trick when Liam Hatcher survived the next ball.

Jack Edwards also played a key role for the Sixers, returning figures of 3 for 27, including the prized wicket of Glenn Maxwell, who continued his struggles with the bat this season. The Stars were restricted to just 17 runs for two wickets during the Power Surge phase.

The victory marked the Sixers’ third consecutive win, strengthening their title credentials ahead of the latter stages of the tournament, with Test players Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith and off-spinner Todd Murphy set to join the squad. The Stars, meanwhile, slipped to their third straight defeat after a strong start to the campaign.

Melbourne Stars will next face city rivals Melbourne Renegades on Saturday, while the Sixers return home to host Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday.