Bowlers, Clarke help maintain Melbourne Stars' winning run

Haris Rauf picked three wickets while Mitchell Swepson, Tom Curran and Marcus Stoinis took two each to restrict Sydney Thunder to 128. Joe Clarke then breezed through the chase with a 37-ball 60. The Stars secured a nine-wicket victory with six overs to spare.

Sam Konstas and Matthew Gilkes gave Thunder a bright start with a 33-run opening stand, but that proved to be their best partnership as the Stars' bowlers struck regularly. Rauf dismissed Gilkes in the fourth over, and Swepson cleaned up Konstas in the PowerPlay. Further strikes from Stoinis, Swepson and Rauf reduced Thunder to 90 for 5.

Shadab Khan (25 off 24) and Chris Green (12 off 11) guided the team past 100, but the bowlers maintained pressure. Thunder lost half their side in the death overs, adding only 29 runs.

Clarke dominated the chase, smashing 49 of the Stars' 61 runs in the PowerPlay, including a 20-run fourth over from Daniel Sams. By the time Green dismissed Clarke in the 10th over, the Stars had already reached 86.

Glenn Maxwell ensured no setbacks, launching a 104m six off Sams and attacking Shadab Khan. He accelerated further with two fours and a six off Tanveer Sangha, finishing unbeaten on 39 off 20 deliveries to wrap up the chase.

Brief Scores: Sydney Thunder 128 in 20 overs (Shadab Khan 25, Matthew Gilkes 24; Haris Rauf 3-29, Mitchell Swepson 2-18, Tom Curran 2-22, Marcus Stoinis 2-25) lost to Melbourne Stars 132/1 in 14 overs (Joe Clarke 60, Glenn Maxwell 39*) by 9 wickets