Days after Glenn Maxwell played a match-winning knock against Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, Melbourne Stars opener Marcus Stoinis scripted history by smashing an unbeaten 147 from 79 deliveries – his first ton in T20 cricket – to record the highest individual score in the tournament’s history. His exploits helped the Stars register a mammoth score of 219-1 in 20 overs against Sydney Sixers at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Stoinis, whose inning was studded with 13 fours and eight sixes, surpassed D’Arcy Short, who held the previous record at 122* in 69 balls two years ago.
The Aussie all-rounder completed his century off just 60 deliveries and showed no mercy as he and Hilton Cartwright (59 off 40 deliveries) got an opening partnership of 207 runs, which is now the highest knock by an opening pair in the tournament and joint-fourth highest in T20 cricket.
You've just gotta watch this highlights package of Marcus Stoinis' 147no @dream11 | #BBL09 pic.twitter.com/IZqEt2VZJE
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 12, 2020
Highest individual score in BBL:
147*: Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)
122*: D’Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes)
117: Luke Wright (Melbourne Stars)
115: Jake Weatherald (Adelaide Strikers)
114: Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes)
It looked like the Perth-born cricketer, who is still the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 378 runs, had something against Ben Dwarshuis. In the 19th over, the all-rounder hit Dwarshuis for three sixes and a boundary as the seamer ended his innings by conceding 61 runs in four overs. The 30-year-old capped off his knock with a six over the backward square leg as he remained unbeaten for the entire innings.
The opener scored 100 runs through boundaries and sixes, and this is now the highest by a batsman in BBL.
Stoinis’ historic knock comes as a huge sigh of relief for the Indian T20 League’s team Delhi, who went as far as Rs 4.8 crore for his signature. And well, they were amongst the early wishers on Twitters. “ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS! Stoinis finishes with an unbeaten 147 off 79 balls, the highest ever individual score in BBL history,” they wrote.
ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS! 🔥@MStoinis finishes with an unbeaten 1⃣4⃣7⃣ off 7⃣9⃣ balls, the highest ever individual score in @BBL history 🤯#BBL09 #ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 12, 2020
As far as the match is concerned, Stars registered a comfortable win by 44 runs to firm their grip at the top of the league table with 16 points from nine games.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @StarsBBL
