Covid-depleted Melbourne Stars beaten by Renegades in local derby

It has been well-documented that Glenn Maxwell's side are missing several first-choice players due to a Covid outbreak among the squad and off-field officials

Melbourne: Melbourne Stars 126, Melbourne Renegades 129-5 - Melbourne Renegades win by five wickets

Melbourne Stars' troubled Big Bash campaign continued with defeat in the local derby against Melbourne Renegades.

It has been well-documented that Glenn Maxwell's side are missing several first-choice players due to a Covid outbreak among the squad and off-field officials.

Overseas player Joe Clarke and new recruit Tom Rogers, who impressed on debut against Perth Scorchers after being plucked from club cricket, were the latest members to test positive, ruling them out of the five-wicket loss at the MCG against a Renegades side that started the day below Stars in the table.

It was a more than respectable effort from Maxwell's men, whose side – other than overseas stars Haris Rauf and Qais Ahmad – looked nothing like the line-up that head coach David Hussey had put together ahead of the season.

Victoria batter Travis Dean and Pakistani seamer Ahmad Daniyal were roped in to replace Clarke and Rogers, who joined Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Joe Burns, Beau Webster, Sam Elliott, Clinton Hinchcliffe, Nick Larkin, Sam Rainbird, Liam Hatcher and Billy Stanlake in being absent.

^{Melbourne Stars have been ravaged by positive Covid tests (Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)}

After being bowled out for just 126 – 41 of which came from the bat of Hilton Cartwright, the second-most senior domestic player available to Maxwell, who made only seven – they rallied well to reduce Renegades to 91 for 5, only for Mackenzie Harvey and James Seymour to help Nic Maddinson's men to victory.

Aaron Finch made his second half century of the campaign, while Shaun Marsh hit 21. Rauf took a fine boundary catch to dismiss Finch, one of two victims for Tom O’Connell.

Earlier in the piece, Reece Topley, Kane Richardson and Maddinson had all picked up three wickets each.