Josh Brown’s lone batting effort goes in vain as Melbourne Stars snap three-match losing streak

A blistering batting display from Sam Harper and Tom Rogers powered Melbourne Stars to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Melbourne Renegades, ending their three-game losing streak in the Big Bash League (BBL). Chasing a target of 167, the Stars cruised home with 25 balls to spare in front of a packed crowd of 42,846 at Marvel Stadium.

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Harper continued his stellar BBL season, remaining unbeaten on 80 off 50 balls to strengthen his position as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. He was brilliantly supported by Rogers, who smashed his highest BBL score of 53, reaching his half-century in just 19 balls — the second-fastest fifty in Stars’ history.

The emphatic chase followed a disciplined bowling performance from the Stars, who restricted the Renegades to 166 for 7, despite some sloppy fielding. Captain Marcus Stoinis led with the ball, claiming 3 for 33, while Haris Rauf and Peter Siddle maintained control through the middle and death overs.

For the Renegades, Josh Brown stood tall with a superb 80 off 50 balls, but he received little support from the rest of the batting lineup. The Renegades’ top order struggled for fluency, managing just three fours and two sixes combined, compared to Brown’s seven fours and four sixes.

Rogers set the tone early, punishing anything loose in the powerplay. His assault included four sixes, highlighted by a thunderous straight drive and a massive 99-metre hit into the upper deck off Gurinder Sandhu. The opening partnership raced to 83 in 7.2 overs before Rogers was run out in a rare piece of luck for the Renegades.

Any hope of a comeback was short-lived. Harper took control alongside Glenn Maxwell, rotating strike efficiently and accelerating during the Power Surge, where he plundered 24 runs, featuring inventive scoops and clean lofted drives. Maxwell, despite being dropped, finished unbeaten on 20 as Stars sealed the win comfortably.

Earlier, fielding lapses from Stars allowed Brown to cash in, including a misjudged boundary by Campbell Kellaway and a straightforward drop by Maxwell. However, Renegades failed to capitalize. Mohammad Rizwan, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Caleb Jewell all got starts but failed to convert them into meaningful contributions.

Brown’s dismissal in the 18th over — trapped lbw by a clever slower ball from Peter Siddle — ended Renegades’ hopes of pushing beyond a competitive total.

With this win, Melbourne Stars climb back to second place on the BBL points table, while Melbourne Renegades remain stuck in seventh, continuing their inconsistent campaign.