Stars suffer incredible collapse as Renegades claim their first Big Bash title

The Melbourne Renegades pipped their cross-town rivals in a low-scoring final which saw one of the more remarkable collapses in recent memory...

The Melbourne Stars were utterly in control of this match right up until the 13th over of their innings. Then it fell apart in quite a big way. This was a collapse of quite English proportions.

Having restricted the Melbourne Renegades to 145 for 5, Stars’ openers Ben Dunk and Marcus Stoinis seemed to be walking it. This looked to be the forgettable finale that a forgettable tournament deserved, but that all changed rather suddenly.

Stoinis was bowled by Cameron Boyce and the Stars were 93 for 1. Within five overs they were 113 for 7.

Pre-match predictions are a naturally tricky business, but making accurate predictions using information garnered during this final seemed nigh impossible.

^{A half-century from Ben Dunk looked to have won it for the Stars}

The Renegades' innings was defined by an inability to score runs off the tidy spin of Adam Zampa and Sandeep Lamichhane, but it was the seam of Harry Gurney and Chris Tremain which settled the affair.

Jackson Bird had made the important start for the Stars by taking two early wickets in the powerplay, with the all-important wicket of Aaron Finch also falling in desperately unlucky fashion.

The Renegades captain was run out for just 13 at the non-striker’s end after the ball cannoned off Bird’s boot. He destroyed a chair as he entered the dressing room, and it looked more and more like that would be the enduring image as the match went on.

Having been reduced to 65 for 5, the experienced pair Dan Christian and Tom Cooper added a valuable 80 for the sixth wicket. But having failed to take a wicket by the 13th over, it looked more than unlikely that the Renegades would claim their first title.

^{Tom Cooper and Dan Christian's 80-run partnership proved vital}

Collapses in cricket, by their nature, are unexpected. This was a new level of unexpected. The tournament’s leading wicket-taker Kane Richardson had even ended his four overs with nothing.

With Stoinis departing, the score was still 93 for 1 and the Stars were still well in control. First, Tremain had Peter Handscomb for a duck. Then Boyce got rid of the settled Dunk, and Tremain got his second wicket - captain fantastic Glenn Maxwell for just one.

Suddenly, the Stars were 99 for 4. The 'Big Show' had gone and panic had well and truly set in. Harry Gurney and Christian followed Tremain’s example and three more wickets fell. From nowhere, the game had turned completely on its head.

The Renegades won the match and were crowned champions, but the Stars will have been left feeling like they threw it away. Big time.

BIG BASH TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT