Lyon, Maddinson end Stars’ BBL campaign

MELBOURNE: Australia spinner Nathan Lyon's three-wicket haul set up Sydney Sixers' comfortable eight-wicket win that brought an end to Melbourne Stars' BBL campaign, who now have six defeats from seven fixtures.

Sixers themselves had a horrendous start to the season with six losses of their own, but have now earned two successive victories and are well-poised to ruin their compatriots' chances of advancing to the semis.

Following Lyon's superb spell of 3 for 18, which came as a glowing testimonial for the Test spinner's limited-overs abilities, Nic Maddinson smashed a 31-ball 62, orchestrating a win with 29 balls to spare.

Sydney Sixers decided to bowl first and Lyon stuck very early, picking two wickets off two balls in the final over of the powerplay, reducing Stars to 31 for 3. The first of the two came off a rank loosener that Kevin Pietersen slammed straight to Sean Abbott at deep mid-wicket.

Ben Dunk camped back to play the cut shot but ended up feathering one to Peter Nevill behind the stumps. Glenn Maxwell got a partnership going with Peter Handscomb and took on Abbott in the 11th over, carting him for two sixes.

Abbott hit back with Maxwell's wicket in the same over, a soft dismissal as the latter edged to Nevill while trying to guide a wide delivery down to third man. From 76 for 4, it took a slow 50-run stand off 52 balls between James Faulkner and Evan Gulbis that pushed the team total past the 100-run mark, and finish on 128 for 7 as bowlers enjoyed a lot of purchase from the MCG wicket.

Faulkner had Joe Deanly dismissed in the fourth over, but Maddinson brought a brutal end to the faint hopes that the hosts harboured of defending their paltry total. As many as 54 off Maddinson's 62 came off fours and sixes, a knock that he pulled off in the company of opener Daniel Hughes.

Hughes enjoyed the best view of Maddinson's disdainful treatment of the Stars bowlers, and scored a brisk 46-ball 49 himself. Brief Scores: Melbourne Stars 128/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 28, James Faulkner 28; Nathan Lyon 3-18, Sean Abbott 2-35) lost to Sydney Sixers 129/2 in 15.1 overs (Nic Maddinson 62*, Daniel Hughes 49; Jackson Coleman 1-14) by 8 wickets.