Marcus Stoinis has blasted his way back to form by helping the Melbourne Stars pull off their greatest BBL run chase in a seven-wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers on New Year's Eve.
After Chris Lynn (83no off 42 balls) and Matt Short (56 off 32) lifted the Strikers to an imposing 4-205 at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, Beau Webster (66no off 48) and Stoinis (55no off 19) silenced the bumper crowd of 42,505, raising victory with six balls remaining.
Stoinis, who entered the match hopelessly out of touch with just 30 runs for the tournament at an average of six, battered the Strikers into submission, turning a formidable chase into a cruise.
With the match in the balance in the 18th over, Wes Agar was incensed when his full toss which Stoinis clobbered for four was deemed too high and a no-ball, softening the equation for the Stars.
But there was no luck required in the 19th as Stoinis, also the New Year's Eve hero here 12 months ago, crunched James Bazley for 6-2-4-6-6 for the win.
"I haven't put a swing on one yet this year so that was nice," Stoinis said.
"I don't think it (chase) ever got out of control, which is a testament to the guys batting at the top.
"This wicket, for a batter, is the best in the country."
After Tom Rogers (8) departed cheaply, Dan Lawrence (49) - virtually straight off a plane as a replacement player for departed Pakistani duo Haris Rauf and Usama Mir - lit up the powerplay.
But with a half-century in sight, Lawrence walked off the park shaking his head after being run out in contentious fashion.
D'Arcy Short's bullet to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen from deep square leg just beat Lawrence's lunge, but though the ball spilled out of Neilsen's gloves as the stumps were broken, the Englishman was given his marching orders by third umpire Donovan Koch.
Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell (27) miscued impressive legspinner Cameron Boyce to Adam Hose in the outer, but then Webster and Stoinis's fireworks show began.
Earlier, master blaster Lynn and captain Matt Short had the Strikers at one stage eyeing a total nearing 250.
After D'Arcy Short (25) spooned a return catch to spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, captain Short and Lynn smashed 83 off the next five overs and moved into first and second place on the competition's run-scoring leaderboard.
The skipper thumped three sixes before lofting a knuckle-ball from opposite number Maxwell (2-21) to Webster at deep midwicket.
Maxwell's knuckle-ball variation also claimed Hose (14) as the Strikers' progress stalled somewhat, but Lynn continued to fire against a depleted, rattled Stars attack.
The BBL's alltime leading runscorer, Lynn belted four sixes and was well supported late by Jamie Overton but no total was enough with the mood Stoinis was in.
"We're not bowling well as a unit," said Boyce who, with 1-15 off four overs, was the only Strikers bowler to go at less ahtn 10-an-over.
"That's been a bit of a trend for us the last few games.
"We need to figure out how to come out of that surge a bit better."
