Match overview
Melbourne Stars beat Hobart Hurricanes by 8 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 18 December 2025. Chasing 159, Stars barely broke sweat. They posted 48/1 in the powerplay, moved to 137/2 through the middle overs, and knocked off the remaining runs from the death without losing another wicket. Hobart had recovered from a shaky start to reach 115/3 at the end of the middle overs, but a collapse of 6 wickets for 43 in the final phase limited them to 158/9. It was never quite enough. MP Stoinis took the Player of the Match award.
The Hurricanes' powerplay was difficult: 38 runs and 3 wickets gone inside the first six overs left them needing a major middle-overs recovery. They got it, with 77 runs and no wickets in that phase suggesting the pitch was playing well. The death overs undid much of that work. Six wickets tumbling for 43 runs is the kind of collapse that shifts the psychology of a chase, and Stars' batters never looked like they were under pressure.
Venue and conditions
The MCG has hosted 155 T20 matches and averages 205 in the first innings. Hobart's 158/9 fell well short of that benchmark, which partly explains why the chase felt so routine. The ground's average second-innings score of 190 also points to a venue where batting is generally straightforward, and conditions tend not to dramatically favour either side.
Teams winning the toss at the MCG have opted to field in 54% of cases, and Melbourne Stars followed that pattern after winning it here. The ground's chase success rate of 56% backed that call. The powerplay average of 35 runs means Stars' 48 in the first six overs of their chase was above par, setting a platform that the Hurricanes had no realistic answer to. Average death-overs scoring at this ground is 30 runs; Hobart's 43 was higher, but the 6 wickets lost in the process told the real story.
How to watch
Big Bash League coverage in the UK is broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket throughout the season. Matches are typically available to stream via Sky Go or a NOW TV day pass for those without a full Sky subscription. Given the time difference between the UK and Melbourne, most BBL fixtures broadcast live during late evening or overnight UK hours, with highlights and replays available the following morning.
Recent form
Melbourne Stars came into this fixture in strong form, having won four of their previous five BBL matches. Their only slip was a loss to Sydney Thunder, but wins over Melbourne Renegades (twice) and Sydney Sixers had built genuine momentum. This win over Hobart extends a run that suggests Stars are among the more consistent sides in the current BBL season.
Hobart Hurricanes had been in decent shape themselves before this game, winning three of their last five including victories over Sydney Thunder (twice) and Sydney Sixers. Their loss here, coupled with a 40-run defeat to the same Stars side earlier in the season, suggests the MCG is a difficult venue for them. Away from home they have been more competitive, as their 3-run win over Stars at Bellerive Oval in the most recent meeting of these sides shows. Both teams remain in the mix for finals qualification, so this result will carry some weight in the standings.
