In a thrilling encounter at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, Melbourne Stars secured a commanding six-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers in the 10th match of Big Bash League season 15. Chasing 156, Stars cruised home in 18.1 overs, boosting their top-table position while denting Strikers’ early momentum. Tom Curran earned Player of the Match honours with a match-defining 3/35 spell that dismantled the Strikers’ top order.
Tom Curran dazzles with three wickets against Adelaide Strikers
Adelaide Strikers openers crumbled under Curran’s searing pace right from the powerplay, losing two wickets for just seven runs in 1.4 overs. Curran struck first in the 1.2 over, shattering Chris Lynn’s timber with an off-cutter that nipped back sharply, ending Lynn’s stay at 4 off 4 balls after a scratchy start. Just two balls later, Jason Sangha‘s stumps bamboozled to a vicious leg-cutter that jagged off the seam, leaving Strikers reeling at 7/2 and silencing the home crowd.
Matthew Short steadied the innings with a gritty captain’s knock of 56 off 42 balls, featuring four boundaries and reaching his fifty in 38 deliveries amid a tense phase. He partnered Liam Scott for a crucial 55-run stand for the third wicket, pushing Strikers to 50 in 6.5 overs despite extras mounting to seven leg-byes early on. Stars’ review against Alex Ross at 9.5 overs failed, but Peter Siddle‘s experience shone through with Ross’s catch at 15.4 overs, curtailing a budding 28-run alliance.
Curran returned to claim Short at 13.4 overs, caught by Marcus Stoinis after a lofted mishit, triggering a collapse from 110/4 to 141/8. Haris Rauf‘s late double strike—Jamie Overton at 16.5 and Jerrssis Wadia plus Harry Nielsen in the 18th over—sealed Strikers at 155/8 in 20 overs, with Henry Thornton unbeaten on 12 off six balls including a six. Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Swepson kept economy tight at 7.00 and 6.25, while Siddle’s 1/23 proved economical on a pitch offering seam movement.
Also WATCH: Tom Curran knocks over Jason Sangha’s stumps with an absolute ripper in BBL|15
Melbourne Stars edge past Strikers with a commanding chase
Melbourne Stars exploded in the powerplay, racing to 52 without loss in four overs, highlighted by a blistering 50-run opening stand in just 24 balls between Joe Clarke and Sam Harper. Harper blazed to his fifty off 35 balls with five fours and two sixes, his aggressive strokeplay including towering blows that exploited the short boundaries. Clarke fell at 67/1 in 6.6 overs to Lloyd Pope, but the platform was set.
Harper departed at 90/2 in 9.5 overs, caught by Short off Overton, yet Campbell Kellaway‘s 28 off 22 kept momentum with a six and two fours. Maxwell’s brief stay ended at 96/3 via Hasan Ali, but skipper Stoinis anchored with an unbeaten 32 off 22, featuring three fours and a match-winning six over long-on to seal victory at 161/4. Hilton Cartwright chipped in 10 not out off seven, ensuring Stars crossed 150 in 17.1 overs with 11 balls spare at a run rate of 8.86.
Strikers’ bowlers struggled post-powerplay; Short conceded 27 in 2.1 overs, Overton 39 in four despite a wicket, and Ali’s 2/25 offered resistance too late. Stars’ table-topping net run rate improved further, now second behind Hobart Hurricanes after two wins, while Strikers slipped following their promising start.
A comfortable win for Melbourne Stars 💪🏏#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/EoDVsWUCUK
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 23, 2025
