Match overview
Melbourne Stars made light work of Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval on 28 December 2025, winning by 9 wickets to record one of the more one-sided results in this BBL rivalry. Sydney Thunder were bowled out for 128, and the Stars' reply was effectively done before the halfway point of the chase: 61 runs from the powerplay without loss put the result beyond reasonable doubt. Haris Rauf was named Player of the Match for his contribution with the ball in the first innings. The Stars have now won four of their last five matches in this BBL season.
For Sydney Thunder, the defeat continues a difficult run. They arrived at this fixture having won just two of their last five games, and their batting order once again failed to fire at a venue where the average first-innings total is 198. Posting 128 all out was simply not competitive, regardless of conditions.
The win also carries significance in the context of a rivalry that had tilted firmly Sydney's way in recent years. Thunder had won the previous four meetings between these sides. The Stars' 9-wicket result draws the overall head-to-head level at 11 wins each from 22 BBL encounters.
Venue and conditions
Manuka Oval's T20 numbers are worth understanding in full. Across 44 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score is 198 and the average second-innings score is 163. Teams winning the toss have chosen to field 62% of the time, a trend Melbourne Stars followed here. The chase success rate sits at 48%, which means chasing sides win roughly half the time overall, though those averages are built on competitive first-innings totals.
The phase breakdown from this match tells the story of how far Sydney Thunder fell short. Their powerplay produced 42 runs for 2 wickets against a venue average of 46 runs in that phase, which was not catastrophic. But the death overs were damaging: just 29 runs as five wickets fell in the final four overs, when the venue average for that phase is 41. The Stars, chasing 129, made 61 in their powerplay without losing a wicket and wrapped the game up in the middle overs, with the death-overs column reading 0 runs and 0 wickets because they never needed to bat there.
Summer conditions at Manuka Oval in late December can bring heat and variable pace off the surface. The pitch in this match did not offer the Thunder's batters anything to build on, and the Stars' bowlers capitalised.
How to watch
BBL fixtures are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Matches can be streamed via Sky Go for existing subscribers or through a NOW TV day pass for those without a full subscription. It is worth noting the time difference when setting reminders: Australian Eastern Daylight Time runs 11 hours ahead of GMT during the BBL season, meaning evening matches in Canberra typically fall in the early hours of the UK morning.
Recent form
Melbourne Stars came into this fixture in good shape. Four wins from five BBL games in 2025, with victories over Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Strikers, and Hobart Hurricanes in that spell. Their only blemish was a defeat to Sydney Thunder, which this result has now answered.
Sydney Thunder's form makes for harder reading. Two wins from five in 2025, with three consecutive defeats before a win over Brisbane Heat gave them brief momentum. The middle-overs phase showed some resistance in this match (57 runs for 3 wickets against the Stars), but the collapse at the death undid that work entirely. With further BBL fixtures ahead, Thunder's batting order needs to find some consistency quickly if they are to remain competitive. The two sides could meet again before the season is out, and the head-to-head being level at 11–11 ensures there will be plenty of interest when they do.