Streetsmart Energy Top-10 – #10 Renegades and Stars鈥 BBL campaigns

Streetsmart Energy and Cricket Victoria are counting down the top-10 moments from 2012-13.

With Victorian cricket again enjoying another golden summer, we’ll bring you the best of the best from the course of the season.

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The Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars both provided many highlights in BBL|02 in seasons bookended by heartbreaking semi-final defeats.

The Renegades entered the competition with most pundits tipping a lowly finish for the Etihad Stadium-based side but surprised everyone, except themselves, when they won their first four matches.

Those same experts were in unison as they selected the Stars as the pre-tournament favourite with a squad brimming with high-profile players.

There was no bigger result early in the tournament than the season opener on December 7 when both Melbourne sides met.

Renegades skipper Aaron Finch produced one of the best limited-overs innings seen in this country when he smashed 111 from just 65 deliveries to guide the home side to an eight-wicket victory.

While their success in game one was their batting, the Renegades’ strength was their bowling depth, in particular, the spin trio of Muttiah Muralitharan, Marlon Samuels and Aaron O’Brien, who combined to lead the side to victories over Sydney Thunder, Hobart and Brisbane.

Despite the opening round loss, the Stars fought back to win their next three matches with Lasith Malinga delivering the incredible spell of 6-7 against the Perth Scorchers in round two.

When the second derby came around at the MCG, both Melbourne sides were on top of the table and the fans responded with 46,581, a domestic record, filing through the gates.

A mid-pitch clash between Stars skipper Shane Warne and Renegades import Marlon Samuels was the main talking point in a game again dominated by Finch, who collected man-of-the-match honours with an unbeaten 67.

While that result secured a home final for the Renegades, it meant that the Stars would need to defeat the Thunder in their final match to make the semi-finals.

All hope appeared lost when the Thunder required a run a ball for the final eight overs with eight wickets in hand but brilliant spells from James Faulkner (3-24) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (2-27) delivered a nail-biting victory and set up an away semi-final against the Scorchers.

The Renegades were bundled out of the finals when they were met head-on by a rampaging Luke Pomersbach, who carved an unbeaten 112 from 70 deliveries.

The home side was gallant in defeat, falling 15 runs short of Brisbane Heat’s target of 183, with the tournament’s most consistent batsman, Ben Rohrer, again delivering with 42 from 22.

The Stars’ semi-final would go down as one of the most gripping games of limited-overs cricket ever played with the Scorchers prevailing of the final delivery.

Cam White (88) and Brad Hodge (70*) dispatched the Perth attack to all parts before rain hit and reduced the Stars innings to just 18 overs.

Their total of 184 was reduced to 139 from 13 overs when weather intervened again.

In a frantic finish, the Stars thought they had won when they when Faulkner got one past Adam Voges off what was to be the final delivery only for a no-ball to be called with Mike Hussey hitting a six off the next delivery to ice the match.

With the majority of players in both squads already secured for next season, BBL|03 will be sure to see both Melbourne teams at the top of the table again.