Shining Stars eclipse Renegades

Chris Gayle might have been the focus of attention all week but it was fellow West Indian Dwayne Bravo whose bat did all the talking, finishing unbeaten with 59 off 37 balls. 

 

But Bravo was also the man involved in the bizarre dismissal of Peter Neville, who was run out, beaten by a nose – literally.  Bravo smashed a return shot down the wicket from Adam Zampa which deflected off Nevill’s bat as he backed up at the non-striker’s end, hit Zampa flush on the hooter, breaking his nose before breaking the wicket with Nevill still clearly out of his ground.

The Stars restricted the Renegades to a total of 155, mainly through a superb spell from Marcus Stoinis who took 3/11 off two overs, including the scalps of dangermen Chris Gayle (21) and Cameron White (29)

The smoke from the fireworks might have taken a while to clear but the Stars’ openers Marcus Stoinis and Luke Wright had no issue seeing through the gloom, racing to 33 off 20 balls before Dwayne Bravo bamboozled Stoinis with a dipping slowing yorker that clipped the leg stump when he was on 13.

The Stars big-hitting batsmen would not be denied.  Luke Wright continued his barn-storming form, belting 37 from just 26 balls before holing out.  Kevin Pietersen and Peter Handscomb then guided the cross-town rivals to safe ground with the South African clubbing 67 off 43 and Handscomb a more than handy sidekick with 39.

Stars home by 8 wickets with 12 balls remaining in the Victorian derby in front of 43 176.