Melbourne Stars V Perth Scorchers

The Sydney Thunder gave captain Michael Hussey the ideal send-off from Australian cricket when they beat the Melbourne Stars by three wickets to win the Big Bash League on Sunday.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Kevin Pietersen of the Melbourne Stars raises his bat after scoring 50 runs during the Big Bash League Semi Final match between the Melbourne Stars and the Perth Scorchers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.

The Stars’ progression beyond the semi-finals for the first time in five attempts was earned through a combination of stifling bowling and Pietersen’s nerveless batting in response.

Michael Klinger and Adam Voges added 79 runs for the third wicket partnership.

Perth’s hopes of defending the skinny target were helped by limiting the Stars to 1-15 in the first four overs of the chase.

Marcus Stoinis anchored the chase brilliantly for the Stars with Pietersen joining the party with a crucial 62 runs off 36 deliveries. “We just prepare. We turn up, we play the way we play and if we win, we win”. Even this has been a topsy-turvy season, as they lost four consecutive games after winning their first three and only crept into the finals when their fate was beyond their control. Aston Agar and Andrew Tye also were dismissed off successive overs.

Controversial former England batsman Pietersen, in extended exile for the past two years, then shared stands of 69 with Marcus Stoinis and 46 with Peter Handscomb. Stars, who have been sensational in the0 group stage would aim to lift their maiden BBL title, while Thunder, who too have been laying some good cricket of late, too, would aim to go for the title. Scorchers were without their key batsman Shaun Marsh.

While he fell in that over, bowled by a yorker attempting a reverse sweep with 12 runs left to get, he had already done the heavy lifting.

Kevin Pietersen figureheads the Stars line up with compatriot Luke Wright and his strength of personality is matched by the local stars Ben Hilfenhaus and captain Hussey. He and fellow opener Jacques Kallis (28) put on 86 before the South African holed out in the deep to Pietersen off Adam Zampa.