MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Dwayne Bravo’s handy cameo was not enough to help Melbourne Renegades stave off defeat, as their cross-town rivals Melbourne Stars broke out of their rut to win their first match of the Australian Big Bash here yesterday.
Chasing 168 at Docklands Stadium in the Melbourne derby, Renegades came up short by 23 runs, handing their neighbours their first points of the tournament in their sixth outing.
The right-handed Bravo, batting at number four, top-scored with 26 from 18 deliveries with two fours and a six.
He put on 35 for the fifth wicket with Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi (23) before perishing in the 14th over, caught at long-on off seamer Evan Gulbis.
Jack Wildermuth pitched in with 23 off 11 deliveries but the Renegades innings slowly fizzled out and lost momentum.
Left-arm pacer Jackson Coleman was the best bowler with three for 47.
Earlier, Stars rattled up 167 for four off their 20 overs after being sent in, with former England star Kevin Pietersen smashing 74 off 46 deliveries and opener Peter Handscomb getting 41.
Ben Dunk fell to the third ball of the match without a run on the board but Pietersen added 110 for the second wicket with Handscomb to revive the innings.
Bravo went wicket-less in his four overs which cost 38 runs while Nabi claimed two for 15 from four brilliant overs of off-spin.
