BBL 2024-25 Stars vs Thunder Highlights: Wes Agar's 3-Fer, Sam Billings' Fifty Blows Beat-Down Stars

Sam Billings teared apart the Stars bowling attack to rack up a massive knock [Source: @ThunderBBL/X.com]

The 14th match of BBL season 14 was an exciting affair to watch as the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder clashed with each other at Manuka Oval. The Stars chose to bowl first, allowing the Thunder to bat. However, this decision backfired on the Stars, as the Thunder scored an impressive 182 runs. In response, the Stars' middle order collapsed, leading to an 18-run defeat.

With the clash having ended on a comfy note for the winning team, here’s the timeline of how Stars vs Thunder panned out at Manuka Oval:

Stars vs Thunder Highlights: Sam Billings Blizzard Blinds Stars With Quick Half-Ton

Sam Billings came to save the day for the Stars as he came in to bat at number five after Oliver Davies was sent back for a duck. Billing racked up his sensational 7th BBL half-century off just 29 balls to anchor Thunder's innings who were struggling at 45-3 after 5.4 overs.

Billings scored a total of 72 runs off 39 balls before he was dismissed by Peter Siddle in the 18th over. The wicketkeeper batter's inning was laced with 2 sixes and 9 staggering boundaries.

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Stars vs Thunder Highlights: Beau Webster's 3-Wicket Haul, Usama Mir's Row Dampens Thunder

While Billings was an absolute monster with the bat, Usama Mir and Beau Webster too were a force to reckon with the ball for the Stars. Beau achieved an early breakthrough by taking the first wicket of David Warner. He also hindered the Thunder's progress by claiming two crucial middle-order wickets, which helped control the flow of runs.

Meanwhile, Usama Mir also scalped from the Thunder's top order with Oliver Davies and Cameron Bancroft's wicket where the latter was dismissed off of a very peculiar manner.

Stars vs Thunder Highlights: Ben Duckett's Fighting Fifty In Vain As Stars Middle Order Topples Easy

The Melbourne Stars started off shaky, losing Sam Harper on the third ball of the first over. However, Ben Duckett, the man in form, stepped up and began to score aggressively, reaching his fifty while the middle order of the Stars crumbled rapidly. Duckett achieved his half-century in just 37 balls, giving the Stars something to celebrate amidst the collapse of their batting lineup.

Unfortunately, Duckett's efforts came to an end when he was dismissed by Daniel Sams in the second ball of the 16th over, leaving the Stars in a difficult position at 129-5.

Stars vs Thunder Highlights: Wes Agar Ruins Stars' Hope To Salvage The Chase

The Stars couldn't recover from Duckett's loss and were obliterated by the Thunder's Wes Agar who pocketed Beau Webster, Jonathan Merlo, and Usama Mir in one single over. Agar bowled the final over when the Stars needed 27 runs, which was a tough target to chase. 

However, Agar showed resilience with the ball and helped restrict the Stars' innings at 164-8. This significant victory marked Sydney Thunder's second win in the tournament, which they won by a margin of 18 runs.

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