Haris Rauf’s impressive bowling helped the Melbourne Stars climb to the top of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 points table with a nine-wicket win over Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Rauf set the tone with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 29 as the Thunder struggled to gain runs after being sent into bat.
His pace and accuracy tore apart the middle order, ensuring the Stars kept their unbeaten run intact this season.
Chasing a modest target of 129, the Stars made light work of it, reaching the total with 36 balls to spare.
Joe Clarke led the way with a fluent 60 off 37 deliveries, while Sam Harper remained unbeaten on 29 and Glenn Maxwell added 39 off just 20 balls to seal victory in style.
Earlier, the Thunder’s innings never got off the ground. Openers Sam Konstas and Matt Gilkes provided a brief spark, reaching 23 not out after two overs, but both fell in quick succession — Gilkes eventually felling Rauf after surviving two close chances.
David Warner briefly entertained the crowd with a towering six in the Manuka Oval roof, but was dismissed off the next delivery as the Thunder slumped to 64 for 4 at the halfway mark.
Rauf struck again to remove Sam Billings just as the Englishman tried to settle, and later claimed his third scalp when Chris Green dropped a catch straight to short fine leg.
New recruit Mitchell Swepson provided excellent support, picking up 2 for 18, including wickets with his first ball and trapping Cameron Bancroft lbw.
The Thunder failed to recover from early setbacks and closed with a lower total, suffering their first loss of the season after three wins, while the Stars continued their dominant start to the season.
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