Melbourne Stars suffered their first loss of the 2025-26 Big Bash League season after Haris Rauf was dismantled at the death during Brisbane Heat’s stunning chase at the Gabba.
Defending 196, the Stars were firmly in control as the Heat needed 76 runs from the last five overs. Tight bowling from Rauf and Peter Siddle pushed Brisbane into a corner and the visitors looked set to extend their winning streak. That quickly changed as Max Bryant decided to counter attack.
Bryant targeted Rauf and smashed two sixes to get back to the hosts. Although Rauf managed to dismiss Jimmy Peirson in the same over, the pressure had already changed. The arrival of Xavier Bartlett only added to Melbourne’s problems as the Heat continued to look for boundaries when it mattered most.
Haris Rauf in Death Overs in BBL while defending
– 16 runs in 16th over
– 10 off 4 balls, while defending 10 runs in the last over pic.twitter.com/blLMrwNbXk
— junaiz (@dhilow_) January 2, 2026
Siddle was then punished in his final, with Bryant taking full advantage of a free to clear the ropes. The equation quickly slipped away for the Stars, and the game was all but decided when Bryant walked Tom Curran on the penultimate play. He ended the chase in style in the final over, cutting a short delivery for four before sealing the win with another boundary.
Earlier, Melbourne Stars put up a strong total thanks to contributions across the order. Sam Harper provided the early impetus in the powerplay before Marcus Stoinis and Campbell Kellaway leveled the innings. Late knocks from Blake Macdonald and Hilton Cartwright lifted the Stars to 195 for 6, plenty at the break.
Brisbane’s chase had its share of setbacks, losing Colin Munro early and slipping further when Mitchell Swepson struck twice to remove Nathan McSweeney and Matt Renshaw. With the required uptick in speed, the Stars appeared fully in control.
Instead, the night belonged to Bryant and Bartlett. Their late surge gave the Brisbane Heat a memorable win and brought the Stars’ juggernaut start to the season to an abrupt halt, with Rauf holding out under pressure for a rare but costly outing.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
January 2, 2026
