Marcus Stoinis has emerged from a form slump in the most emphatic fashion, delivering a brutal knock for the Melbourne Stars that included the most expensive over of this summer’s BBL yet.
After a poor start to his BBL12 campaign with the bat – he was dismissed for 0, 0, 4 and 10 in his first four games – Stoinis produced his own New Year’s Eve fireworks against the Adelaide Strikers, smashing 74 runs off just 35 balls in a breathtaking knock that included five fours and six sixes.
Four of those sixes came off one Henry Thornton over that cost the Strikers 29 runs — the most in one over in BBL12 to date.
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After Nick Larkin managed a single off the first ball, Stoinis whipped Thornton’s next two deliveries over the mid-wicket fence for two almighty sixes on the trot. He then delivered a powerful strike over long-off to make it three consecutive sixes.
Then after an inside edge flew to the boundary for four, Stoinis sent another Thornton ball into the grandstand on the leg-side.
“The Hulk returns to the BBL,” Fox Cricket’s Isa Guha said.
Thornton came into Saturday night’s match as one of the most in-form BBL bowlers with a competition-high 14 wickets. And after his first three overs against the Stars, he had 2-17.
But everything changed when he came on to bowl the 18th over of the Stars’ innings.
“Henry was having a great night – until this over. Marcus Stoinis is ruining it for him,” former Aussie leg-spinner Kerry O’Keeffe told Fox Cricket.
“I have no words, because the strategy of pitching up every delivery didn’t work.
“Everything full, everything angled – everything in the stands.”
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said it was clear Stoinis was “very determined” to have an impact wit the bat.
“He was brutal … but the one thing I noticed about this innings, even his defensive shots were hitting the middle of the bat,” Haddin told Fox Cricket.
“He wanted to make statement in this tournament – and that’s what he did.
“Some of those blows were as big as you’ll see anywhere in the world.”
Stoinis fell in the final over, well caught by Matt Short on the cover boundary off Wes Agar’s bowling.
But his innings was the backbone of the Stars’ impressive total of 7-186 – their highest total of BBL12 to date.
“Marcus Stoinis had a determined look in his eye. Even when he brought up his 50, there wasn’t much emotion there and he barely acknowledged the fans,” Haddin said.
“He’s put his team in a winning position and got his tournament kick-started.”
