Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars BBL14 live updates, scorecards, teams, kick-off time AEDT, latest news

Sam Konstas was ballistic in the morning but Ben Duckett struck with a stunning display of Bazball brutality in the BBL that could be a foretaste of what’s to come in next year’s Ashes.

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MATCH CENTRE: Sixers vs Stars live BBL scorecard, updates and more

The England opener was out first ball against the Strikers last week but bounced back in a big way to help the winless Stars to a monster score of 9-194 against the Sixers at the SCG.

Inspired by Konstas’ incredible knock in Melbourne, Duckett smashed the Sixers to all parts of the ground, with the BBL’s number one draft pick hitting six boundaries off an Akeal Hosein over to help the visitors score 57 in the powerplay.

It was a stunning display of power and placement as he bowled a couple of swings from the world’s number one ranked T20 bowler in one of the most brutal knocks of the season.

Duckett eventually fell for 68 off 29 after bringing up his half-century in just 22 deliveries with the first of his two sixes.

“I guess I haven’t done it before (hit six boundaries in an over) but I’m not too sure,” Duckett said on the Fox Cricket coverage after his whirlwind knock.

“It’s probably the most nervous I’ve come into a T20 with a golden duck in my first game for a new team.

“I’m just really happy that I was able to contribute today.

“We just talked about being fearless and trying to entertain and that’s what the Melbourne Stars have done over the years. We don’t want to go into our shells.

“Some of the most dangerous sides are the ones that have lost a couple of games. We have everything to play for and that’s what we saw tonight.”

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‘NO NEED FOR IT’

The Melbourne Stars got off to the perfect start to their Boxing Day blockbuster against the Sydney Sixers – but a lack of “cricket smarts” saw the winless outfit stall.

Ben Duckett had smashed the Sixers with an outstanding 68 off just 29 balls in an innings that included six fours in a single over at the SCG.

But with Maxwell and Stars captain Marcus Stoinis fresh on the field, Melbourne opted to take their powerplay from the 11th over – and it backfired.

Maxwell tried to send Ben Dwarshuis up into the stands and instead he drove his pool stroke and was caught by Todd Murphy for 32 off 17.

Retired Australian star David Warner was critical of former teammate Maxwell’s sacking.

“I just expect so many overs to go… if Maxy is on 60 or 70 and they have three or four overs to go… I’m happy for him to continue,” Warner said on Fox Cricket.

“But when they (Maxwell and Stoinis) are the two senior players on the field and they know they can get 15/16 (runs per over) at the back end, there’s no need for that.

“He’ll be angry with himself, that’s just the way he plays.

“Sometimes some cricket smarts have to come into it.

“These two, they are the greatest batsmen in world cricket. 360 degree players.

“Just a little bit smart sometimes.”

Fellow commentator Brendon Julian described Maxwell’s wicket as a turning point for the Stars.

“It could have been ugly — 210 or 215,” he said of the Sixers’ chase.

The Melbourne outfit would go on to lose 4/36 off 30 balls – despite looking on course to eclipse the 200 mark.

Stars all-rounder Hilton Cartwright admitted his side stalled late on.

“We just lost a bit of momentum at the back end there,” he told Fox Cricket.

“You get the mental barrier of a 200-plus score.”

The Stars still manage to put the Sixers 195 for victory.

BEN’S ‘BASEBALL’ FLASH

Stars batsman Ben Duckett has become the first player to register six consecutive boundaries in a single during this BBL14 season to silence the crowd in Sydney.

Against the world’s best Sixer Akeal Hosein, Duckett made the West Indian star look second-rate as he took him to the ropes for six consecutive fours.

“He’s playing Mickey Mouse cricket here,” praised Fox Cricket’s David Warner of Duckett.

“(He says) wherever you bowl, I’ll hit it – it’s exactly like bowling to someone like (teammate) Glenn Maxwell.

“He brings Bazball here to Australia.

“He thinks limits Ben Duckett.

Duckett’s epic over saw the Stars reach 1/57 from their powerplay against the unbeaten Sydney Sixers – the highest figure of any team this BBL14.

The start was exactly what the Stars needed, as the only winless team in the competition, sitting 0-3 and rooted to the bottom, albeit with losses to strong sides, the Strikers, Heat and Scorchers.

Duckett eventually fell for 68 off 29 balls – in an innings that included 10 fours and two sixes.

The match started at 6.05pm AEDT from the SCG.

TEAM

Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Jackson Bird, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk, James Vince (England)

In: Jackson Bird, Hayden Kerr

Out: Sean Abbott, Joel Davis

Melbourne stars: Marcus Stoinis (c), Hilton Cartwright, Ben Duckett (England), Tom Curran (England), Sam Harper, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Usama Mir (Pakistan), Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Doug Warren

In: Usama Mir

Out: Beau Webster, Adam Milne