Adelaide, December 23, 2025: Fast bowler Haris Rauf’s impressive three-wicket haul, followed by a composed half-century from wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper, powered Melbourne Stars to a convincing victory over Adelaide Strikers in the 10th match of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 15 at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
Batting first, the Strikers posted a competitive total of 155 for 8, largely anchored by captain and opening batter Matthew Short, who top-scored with a fighting 56 off 42 balls, including four boundaries. After an early wobble, middle-order batters Liam Scott and Alex Ross steadied the innings, with Scott scoring 25 off 19 deliveries, featuring two fours and a six, while Ross contributed 22 off 21 balls. Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali remained unbeaten on six from six balls, hitting one boundary.
For the Stars, Tom Curran and Haris Rauf led the bowling attack with disciplined spells. Curran claimed three wickets for 35 runs in his four overs, while Rauf was equally effective, returning figures of 3 for 28 to restrict the hosts to a manageable total.
In response, Melbourne Stars chased down the target in 18.1 overs, losing four wickets along the way. Sam Harper played the key role with a match-winning 55 off 36 balls, striking five fours and two sixes. He received valuable support from opener Joe Clarke, who scored 23 off 19 balls, and Campbell Kellaway, who added 28 off 22 deliveries. Skipper Marcus Stoinis provided the finishing touch with an aggressive cameo of 32 off 22 balls, including three fours and a six.
Hasan Ali put in a spirited effort with the ball for the Strikers, picking up the wickets of Kellaway and Glenn Maxwell, but his contribution was not enough to prevent defeat.
With the win, the Stoinis-led Melbourne Stars remain unbeaten in BBL 15, sitting atop the points table with two wins from two matches and a healthy net run rate of 1.541.
