The host team lost 4-8 with just 11 runs to win to keep the Stars in the game until stand-in captain Nathan Ellis followed up his two-for with the match-winning four to clinch a much-needed two-wicket victory.
BBL12, Skipper stands tall as ‘Canes edge Stars in a nail-biter
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Caleb Jewell’s career-best T20 score helped the Hobart Hurricanes overcome a late-innings collapse to upset the Melbourne Stars and keep their KFC BBL|12 playoff chances alive. Jewell (70 off 44 balls) shined as the Hurricanes defeated the Stars by two wickets with 14 balls to spare at Blundstone Arena, but only after the host side lost 7-35 after being 1-94.
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The victory brought the ‘Canes equal on points with fifth-placed Adelaide, while the defeat dropped the bottom-of-the-ladder Stars to two wins in nine games. Hilton Cartwright (57 off 47) was the only Stars player to participate since Marcus Stoinis was injured and Trent Boult was out for the season.
Following scores of 54, 54, and 28, Jewell continued his strong form, surpassing his previous highest T20 score of 61 not out. He hit eight fours and two sixes, and his aggressiveness kept his team far ahead of the needed run rate. Liam Hatcher bowled opener Ben McDermott for two, but Jewell and Englishman Zak Crawley (30 off 34) scored 84 runs for the second wicket in 10 overs.
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Jewell hit his 50 off 30 balls with a cover-driven boundary before slamming a six over mid-wicket off Luke Wood and another over deep backward square leg off Adam Zampa. When Jewell was caught behind against the outstanding Hatcher, who recorded his best BBL numbers of 3-25, the Hurricanes staggered to the finish line.
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Earlier, Cartwright struck eight of his team’s twelve limits straight away, with no other Star reaching the rope until the 14th over. The Hurricanes’ stand-in captain Nathan Ellis (2-12) gave nothing away, and Cartwright and James Seymour (20 off seven balls) were the only Stars to test the Hobart attack’s discipline.
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After both openers fell early, Cartwright and Beau Webster (27 off 35) put up a third-wicket partnership of 60. Import with a lot of power After a mix-up, Joe Clarke was run out, and Tom Rogers holed out to square leg in the fifth over.
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Cartwright hit six fours in nine balls at one point, but the boundaries dried up for almost eight overs. Webster, who battled with his gap-finding time, ended the drought with a scoop to fine leg but was out shortly after off a leading edge. The Stars’ two Power Surge overs yielded just nine runs. Ellis deployed seven bowlers in the opening ten overs, with Riley Meredith (2-25) and Faheem Ashraf (2-29) standing out.