The Melbourne Stars Academy have won the inaugural T10 Melbourne Invitational with a convincing victory over the Adelaide Strikers on Thursday.
The home side restricted the Strikers’ talented batting lineup to just 88 runs after their 10 overs led by the outstanding performances of Max Birthisel (3-14) and Sam Elliott (2-21),
Despite losing openers Sam Harper and Tomy Rogers early, Campbell Kellaway (46 from 19) and Blake MacDonald (21 from 14) helped steer the Stars to victory.
Today’s win capped a memorable T10 tournament for the men in green, with the fixtures providing a valuable platform for the Stars’ developing players to gain top-level experience in a fast-paced, condensed format.
Led by Captain Sam Harper, the Stars Academy opened their campaign with a narrow five-run defeat to the Sydney Sixers Academy, posting 93/5 in response to the Sixers' 98/3.
However, the men in green quickly rebounded with a thrilling one-run victory over the Melbourne Renegades Academy, scoring 117/3 against the Renegades' 116/3, led by a thrashing 64 (32) knock by Tom Rogers.
In the following matches, the Stars Academy achieved a dominant 9-wicket win over the Sydney Thunder Academy, chasing down the 117-run target with ease, thanks to 58 (26) from Campbell Kellaway and an impressive 45 (27) not out from Blake MacDonald.
The Stars continued their strong momentum with an 8-wicket victory against the Adelaide Strikers Academy, limiting the Strikers to 94/9 and successfully chasing the target in 8 overs.
A thrilling contest against the Melbourne Renegades Academy ended in a four-run loss, with the Stars posting 114/4 in reply to the Renegades' 118/5. The Stars would then drop their next two matches, despite scoring 120 runs against the ladder-leading Adelaide Strikers.
In their final group match, the Stars Academy showcased their resilience by defeating the Sydney Sixers Academy by 7 wickets. In a must-win clash, the Stars put the clamps on the travelling side early, restricting the Sixers to 82/7, with Harry Hoekstra (2/9) and Reiley Mark (2/10) the pick of the bowlers.
A quickfire 38 runs from opener Sam Harper helped the Stars reach the target in just 7 overs, with their strong finish clinching them a spot in the semi-final against the Sixers.
Sam Elliot played his best game of the tournament in the do-or-die clash, with the pace bowler claiming 3-10 from 2 overs.
Chasing 100 runs for a Grand Final berth, a memorable 54 from just 23 deliveries by Campbell Kellaway and a valuable 20 off 11 balls by Jono Merlo guided the Stars to the Grand Final, which they would ultimately win a day later.
Captain Sam Harper led the side in runs, scoring 215 runs with a competition leading highest score of 76, closely followed by Campbell Kellaway (214 runs) and Tom Rogers (185 runs).
Max Birthisel capped his impressive tournament by finishing with the second most wickets in the tournament (12), with Doug Warren (11) and Sam Elliott (10) rounding out the Stars’ Top 3 wicket takers.
Their performances highlighted the depth of emerging talent within Victorian cricket, with several players gaining valuable experience in high-pressure scenarios against top-level talent.