Veteran paceman Peter Siddle has thrown his support behind out-of-form superstar Glenn Maxwell, backing him to deliver when it matters most as the Melbourne Stars embark on a daunting mission to win their first-ever Big Bash League title.
Stars stumble, Scorchers soar in final regular season clash
The Stars' hopes of securing a top-two finish and two home finals were dashed on Saturday night after a comprehensive six-wicket defeat to the Perth Scorchers. In front of a massive crowd of 48,608 fans at Optus Stadium, the Stars were bowled out for a meagre 130 runs in just 18.2 overs.
The Scorchers, led by a disciplined bowling attack, chased down the target with a comfortable 19 balls to spare. This victory secured top spot on the ladder for the Scorchers for a record-extending sixth time in the BBL's history, finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record.
The Stars, now 6-4, will finish either third or fourth, depending on the result of Sunday's match between the Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat. Their path to the championship is now the hardest possible: they must win three consecutive finals matches, with at least two of those victories coming away from home.
The Maxwell conundrum: From 'Big Show' to batting blues
Central to the Stars' finals hopes is the alarming form slump of Glenn Maxwell. The player who was joint winner of the tournament's best player award last season has managed just 67 runs across seven innings this campaign.
His scores this season paint a grim picture: apart from an unbeaten 39 and a 20 not out, he has been dismissed for 2, 1, 1, 1, and 3. His struggles were so pronounced against the Scorchers that he was demoted to bat at number seven. Arriving at the crease with the score at 5-100 in the 14th over, he laboured to 3 runs from 8 balls before skying a catch to the boundary.
Commentating for the broadcast, legendary wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist observed that Maxwell looked completely out of sync, stating he was "not reading the game of cricket at all." Maxwell's tough night was compounded by dropping a routine catch in the field, which Gilchrist said summed up a "pretty lousy night" for the Melbourne franchise.
Siddle's unwavering faith in a proven match-winner
Despite the public scrutiny, teammate Peter Siddle remains confident the 'Big Show' will arrive on the finals stage. The 41-year-old fast bowler, still a key part of the Stars' attack, pointed to Maxwell's proven history of performing under extreme pressure.
"He's in that position at the moment," Siddle said of Maxwell's form funk. "You've just got to let him go, just to make sure he's comfortable and happy. He's starred at World Cups in knockout games and starred in knockout tournaments. He'll know what to do, so I think we'll definitely see the best of him next week."
Siddle also highlighted Maxwell's off-field value, praising his leadership and mentorship of the team's younger batsmen throughout the season, suggesting his contribution has extended far beyond his personal run tally.
The Melbourne Stars remain the only original BBL club never to have won the competition. Their quest to break that drought now rests on a perilous away finals run and the hope that their biggest star can suddenly rediscover his explosive best.
