Glenn Maxwell Admits Latest Final Failure Harder to Accept for Melbourne Stars

Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell admitted after the Big Bash League (BBL) final that losing the rain-shortened game to the Sydney Thunder was a hard pill to swallow.

The match was eventually reduced to a 12 overs a side affair, with the Stars winning the bat flip and electing to bowl first. However, they fell 19 runs short of the target of 117.

“It (a rain-shortened game) is a bit of a lottery. I thought we bowled OK, we still gave them about 15 or 20 too many,” Maxwell said after the match.



“Losing three wickets in the first three overs probably hurts you. Stoin (Marcus Stoinis) picked out the one bloke on the fence and I got the one ball that Steve O’Keefe spins all tournament. It happens.”

This was the second straight BBL season where the Stars dominated through the tournament but came up short in the final as they lost last year’s title clash to city rivals Melbourne Renegades.

They were on course for a maiden title in the previous final but a spectacular batting collapse ensured the trophy went to their rivals.

“Last year was pretty tough to take but the fact we had such a dominant season, we played so well throughout the whole of this tournament,” Maxwell said.

“We were able to play a lot of our list and get some game time into different people. It was just such a successful season, to see different guys stand up at different times.

“We never felt out of it. Even when it was 20 an over, we still thought ‘we still back these guys to get this’. It’s hard.”

Maxwell will now be a part of the Australia side that departs for South Africa for a series that will consist of 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs.