BBL 2016/17: Top 5 moments from the Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars clash

Ben Hilfenhaus made amends for a last ball six conceded to Eoin Morgan a week ago by helping Melbourne Stars climb back from a tricky situation and register a win against Adelaide Strikers.

Hilfenhaus made 32, the highest score for the Stars in the game, as he combined with Gulbis to help the Stars over the line. Rob Quiney had started the chase of 153 in style with a quick fire 31 off just 17 balls. Ish Sodhi and Ben Laughlin contained the run flow by taking regular wickets before Hilfenhaus finished an unlikely win.

Earlier, Ben Dunk helped Strikers to a blazing start, but much like the Stars did later, the team kept losing wickets in the middle overs to some good bowling by Scott Boland, who finished with 4 wickets.

Brief Scores: Adelaide Strikers 152/8 in 20 overs (Ben Dunk 35, Boland 4/30) lost to Melbourne Stars 153/8 in 19.3 overs (Pietersen 32, Hilfenhaus 32, Laughlin 3/19)

Result: Melbourne Stars win by 2 wickets.

Take a glance at some crucial moments from the clash at MCG.

---

#5 Liam Bowe makes an impact on debut

Bowe picked up one wicket and went for 21 runs in his three overs

Cricket is starting to appreciate the rare genre of bowlers called chinaman spinners, and the Melbourne Stars chose the apt time to unleash one of their own in Liam Bowe.

The 19-year-old wrist spinner is called "Wizard" in local cricketing circles for his strong resemblance to JK Rowling's creation, Harry Potter. The young spinner came into the attack immediately after the powerplay overs and took a wicket in his first over.

Ben Dunk was helping himself to some quick runs but was bamboozled by the chinaman, who deceived him with flight. Dunk gifted a catch to cover as the Stars mobbed their new hero.

#4 Australia discard Scott Boland impresses

Boland got four key wickets in his four overs

Australia have tried many fast bowlers in their limited-overs sides and it is difficult for anyone but an ardent follower of the game to remember the names. Scott Boland is one among them and represented the national team as recently as the ODI series in South Africa.

In fact, the Stars seamer has played 14 ODIs and picked up 16 wickets, an average above 45 and economy above 6 – very average numbers for an Australian fast bowler. However, Boland was on fire for the Stars tonight, taking four crucial Strikers' wickets.

He dismissed the first one, Jake Weatherald, top-edging a hoick to mid-on. Boland went on to dismiss the experienced campaigner, Brad Hodge and Strikers' keeper, Tim Ludeman in the same over that turned the match on its head. He later returned to dismiss Jono Dean to finish with 4/30.

#3 Wes Agar makes T20 debut

The younger Agar went for 36 runs in just 3 overs

The younger brother of Ashton Agar, Wes Agar made his senior T20 debut for the Adelaide Strikers having already figured in the one-day matches. Unlike the left arm spinner, the 19-year-old sibling is a right-arm seamer.

The younger Agar came into bat in the final over of the Strikers' innings and went past his highest one-day score thus far, which is 1*, but could only go as far as one more as Strikers ended at 152/8.

Agar opened the bowling attack and sent down a wide upfront before conceding a boundary in the next two balls. He would go on to two more wides in a 9-ball over that went for 16.

#2 Ish Sodhi makes his Big Bash entry a celebration

The New Zealand spinner kept things tight for the Strikers

Ish Sodhi is a rather uncelebrated name in cricket despite him representing New Zealand with some success. T20 has not been his forte but it came as a bit of a surprise when Adelaide Strikers chose him when Chris Jordan was injured.

However, Sodhi silenced his critics with a wicket off his second delivery, cleaning up Australia's latest Test sensation, Peter Handscomb. He added David Hussey's wicket to his kitty as his first three overs went for just 16.

With Kevin Pietersen and Hussey well capable of finishing off games, Sodhi provided the vital breakthrough to destroy the partnership that was looking good. He had the former English batsman leg before wicket as well, with a googly, but the umpire did not raise his finger for the appeal.

But he ran out the former English batsmen before he could make the Strikers pay.

#1 Rob Quiney misses out on a hat-trick of half-centuries

Quiney

gave a brilliant start to his team

Quiney came into this game on the back of two half-centuries on either side of New Year. A 75 against the Hurricanes followed by a 51 against Renegades, and he got off to a flier this time around as well but fell on 31.

The Australian batsman started the Stars' chase in style by smashing Wes Agar for three boundaries in the first over. He proceeded to loft Dunk and Kelvin Smith before sweeping Dunk away to the fine leg area.

But Quiney could not carry on as he hit a low full toss from an impressive Laughlin straight to Dunk at long on. The opener’s wicket started a collapse as the Stars lost two more wickets by the time they added 10 more runs.