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Stars get it wrong in rain-ravaged knockout in Hobart
SEN • January 22nd, 2026 9:06 am
Back-to-back is still on for the Hobart Hurricanes.
The reigning BBL champs overcame a rain-ravaged Knockout in Hobart to get over the Melbourne Stars in a tense thriller.
Precipitation in Hobart threatened to completely ruin the all-important fixture which did go ahead in a shortened format via the DLS Method.
The Hurricanes batted first and plundered 5/114 off 10 overs with Beau Webster crunching 47 (off 26) and Nikhil Chaudhary chiming in with a late 24 (off 11).
And then two overs into Melbourne’s run chase the rain threatened again, forcing their innings to be condensed into just seven overs and a new target of 85.
Joe Clarke hit 31 (off 17) and Hilton Cartwright’s late efforts almost pulled off a miracle for the Stars who would finish just four runs short.
The Stars, who have a checkered BBL finals history, were criticised for their batting order tactics.
They bizarrely retired opener Sam Harper - the BBL Player of the Series - on 10 (off 6 balls) in a bid to bring experienced pair Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell together.
But it backfired with Stoinis out for nine and Maxwell only facing four deliveries, drawing criticism from Fox Cricket’s Brad Haddin.
Fellow commentator Mark Waugh said: “If he (Maxwell) was in better form, he would have demanded opening, but I just think he probably wasn’t that confident to do it.”
Before Haddin replied: “With the power in this form of the game” Stoinis and Maxwell “needed to face more balls.
“Even Stoinis… in a seven-over game, it doesn’t matter – he’s not going to face 10 balls. If he faces 10 balls, he’ll be 25 runs.
“I just think they got it wrong there.”
The Hurricanes will now tackle the Sydney Sixers in the Challenger at the SCG on Friday night with the winner to meet the Perth Scorchers in the Final at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
