Melbourne Stars
Melbourne-based franchise cricket team
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The Melbourne Stars are an Australian men's professional Twenty20 (T20) franchise cricket team that competes in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition, the Big Bash League (BBL).[2] Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the Stars wear a green uniform and play their home matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). They are the only team who have never won a Big Bash League title despite three finals appearances.
| Nickname | Stars | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| League | Big Bash League | ||
| Association | Cricket Australia | ||
| Personnel | |||
| Captain | Marcus Stoinis | ||
| Coach | Peter Moores | ||
| Owner | Cricket Victoria | ||
| Team information | |||
| City | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Colours | Green[1] | ||
| Founded | 2011 | ||
| Home ground | Melbourne Cricket Ground | ||
| Capacity | 100,024 | ||
| History | |||
| Big Bash League wins | 0 | ||
| Official website | melbournestars.com.au | ||
| |||
Season results
| Season | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Position | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | +0.254 | 4th | Semi-finals |
| 2012–13 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | +0.246 | 3rd | Semi-finals |
| 2013–14 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 | +2.189 | 1st | Semi-finals |
| 2014–15 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | +0.336 | 4th | Semi-finals |
| 2015–16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | +0.366 | 2nd | Runners-up |
| 2016–17 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | +0.397 | 4th | Semi-finals |
| 2017–18 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 8 | −0.926 | 8th | — |
| 2018–19 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | −0.062 | 4th | Runners-up |
| 2019–20 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 20 | +0.526 | 1st | Runners-Up |
| 2020–21 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 0.140 | 7th | — |
| 2021–22 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 26 | -0.222 | 6th | — |
| 2022–23 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 6 | -0.287 | 8th | — |
| 2023-24 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | -1.051 | 6th | — |
| 2024-25 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.135 | 4th | Knockout Final |
Honours
Mascots
Starman & Starlet are two of the official mascots of the Melbourne Stars. In BBL|05 the Stars introduced a secondary mascot, Steven Seagull, the year after a seagull was struck with a cricket ball hit by Perth Scorchers batsman Adam Voges during a match between Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers in BBL|04 while the Stars were fielding at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Rob Quiney, who was the first to the scene, immediately signalled that he feared the worst for the stricken bird as it lay motionless on the ground, before he delicately carried it over the boundary rope and placed it back on the turf. But just minutes later, the bird came back to life and started the walk along the boundary line, much to the delight of the huge MCG crowd.[3]
Rivalries
When the league began in 2011, Cricket Australia decided they would place two teams in Melbourne. With the core group of players for both teams coming from the Victoria cricket team, this rivalry automatically became widely anticipated in Melbourne.[citation needed] The derby between the new two teams, the Stars and the Melbourne Renegades, quickly became hugely popular with big crowds flocking in to the derby matches at both the MCG and Docklands Stadium.[citation needed] In BBL05, during the first leg of the two derbies at the MCG, it drew a record crowd of 80,883 which is the highest crowd for any domestic cricket match ever in the history of the sport.[4]
| Date | Winner | Margin | Venue | Attendance | Player of the match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 2012 | Stars | 11 runs (D/L)[5] | MCG | 40,227 | David Hussey |
| 7 December 2012 | Renegades | 8 wickets[6] | Docklands Stadium | 23,589 | Aaron Finch |
| 6 January 2013 | Renegades | 9 wickets[7] | MCG | 46,581 | Aaron Finch |
| 20 December 2013 | Stars | 76 runs[8] | MCG | 25,266 | Luke Wright |
| 4 January 2014 | Stars | 9 wickets[9] | Docklands Stadium | 42,837 | Cameron White |
| 3 January 2015 | Stars | 112 runs[10] | Docklands Stadium | 33,734 | Michael Beer |
| 10 January 2015 | Stars | 3 wickets[10] | MCG | 37,323 | Glenn Maxwell |
| 2 January 2016 | Stars | 7 wickets[11] | MCG | 80,883 | Luke Wright |
| 9 January 2016 | Stars | 8 wickets[12] | Docklands Stadium | 43,176 | Marcus Stoinis |
| 1 January 2017 | Renegades | 7 runs (D/L)[13] | MCG | 71,162 | Brad Hogg |
| 7 January 2017 | Stars | 46 runs[14] | Docklands Stadium | 44,189 | Adam Zampa |
| 6 January 2018 | Renegades | 6 wickets[15] | MCG | 48,086 | Mohammad Nabi |
| 12 January 2018 | Stars | 23 runs[16] | Docklands Stadium | 44,316 | Kevin Pietersen |
| 1 January 2019 | Stars | 7 wickets[17] | MCG | 46,418 | Marcus Stoinis |
| 19 January 2019 | Stars | 6 wickets[18] | Docklands Stadium | 38,117 | Marcus Stoinis |
| 17 February 2019 | Renegades | 13 runs[19] | Docklands Stadium | 40,816 | Daniel Christian |
| 4 January 2020 | Stars | 7 wickets[20] | MCG | 54,478 | Adam Zampa |
| 10 January 2020 | Stars | 7 wickets[21] | Docklands Stadium | 30,388 | Glenn Maxwell |
| 17 January 2021 | Stars | 6 wickets[22] | MCG | 14,979 | Liam Hatcher |
| 20 January 2021 | Renegades | 5 wickets[23] | Docklands Stadium | 14,202 | Mackenzie Harvey |
| 3 January 2022 | Renegades | 5 wickets[24] | MCG | 21,562 | Kane Richardson |
| 13 January 2022 | Stars | 6 wickets[25] | Docklands Stadium | 10,014 | Glenn Maxwell |
| 3 January 2023 | Renegades | 33 runs[26] | MCG | 38,564 | Tom Rogers |
| 14 January 2023 | Renegades | 6 runs[27] | Docklands Stadium | 22,437 | Kane Richardson |
| 2 January 2024 | Stars | 8 wickets[28] | MCG | 27,024 | Glenn Maxwell |
| 13 January 2024 | Renegades | 6 wickets[29] | Docklands Stadium | 41,205 | Shaun Marsh |
| 5 January 2025 | Stars | 5 wickets[30] | Docklands Stadium | 40,636 | Ben Duckett |
| 12 January 2025 | Stars | 42 runs[31] | MCG | 38,031 | Glenn Maxwell |
| 4 January 2026 | Renegades | 4 runs[32] | Docklands Stadium | 68,124 | Josh Brown |
| 10 January 2026 | Stars | 8 wickets runs[33] | MCG | 42,846 | Marcus Stoinis |
Season Summaries

| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most Runs | Most Wickets | Most Valuable Player | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | 4–3 | 4th | SF | Greg Shipperd | Cameron White | David Hussey and Rob Quiney – 243 | James Faulkner – 13 | – | [34][35] |
| 2012–13 | 5–3 | 3rd | SF | Greg Shipperd | Shane Warne[a] | Brad Hodge – 342 | Lasith Malinga – 13 | – | [36][37] |
| 2013–14 | 8–0* | 1st* | SF | Greg Shipperd | Cameron White[b] | Luke Wright – 288 | Jackson Bird and John Hastings – 13 | – | [38][39] |
| 2014–15 | 5–3 | 3rd | SF | Greg Shipperd | Cameron White | Kevin Pietersen – 293 | John Hastings – 16* | – | [40][41] |
| 2015–16 | 5–3 | 2nd | RU | Stephen Fleming | David Hussey | Kevin Pietersen – 323 | Adam Zampa – 12 | Kevin Pietersen | [42][43] |
| 2016–17 | 4–4 | 4th | SF | Stephen Fleming | David Hussey | Kevin Pietersen – 268 | Scott Boland – 14 | Luke Wright | [44][45] |
| 2017–18 | 2–8 | 8th | DNQ | Stephen Fleming | John Hastings | Glenn Maxwell – 299 | John Hastings – 10 | Glenn Maxwell | [46][47] |
| 2018–19 | 7–7 | 4th | RU | Stephen Fleming | Glenn Maxwell[c] | Marcus Stoinis – 533 | Dwayne Bravo – 15 | Marcus Stoinis | [48][49] |
| 2019–20 | 10–4* | 1st* | RU | David Hussey | Glenn Maxwell[d] | Marcus Stoinis – 705^ | Haris Rauf and Adam Zampa – 20 | Marcus Stoinis* | [50][51] |
| 2020–21 | 5–8 | 7th | DNQ | David Hussey | Glenn Maxwell | Marcus Stoinis – 396 | Adam Zampa – 19 | – | [52][53] |
| 2021–22 | 7–7 | 6th | DNQ | David Hussey | Glenn Maxwell[e] | Glenn Maxwell – 468 | Brody Couch – 16 | Joe Clarke | [54][55] |
| 2022–23 | 3–11 | 8th | DNQ | David Hussey | Adam Zampa | Joe Clarke – 381 | Luke Wood – 20 | Joe Clarke | [56][57] |
| 2023–24 | 4–6 | 6th | DNQ | Peter Moores | Glenn Maxwell[f] | Beau Webster – 262 | Glenn Maxwell – 7 | Hilton Cartwright and Glenn Maxwell | [58][59] |
| 2024–25 | 5–5 | 4th | KF | Peter Moores | Marcus Stoinis | Glenn Maxwell – 325 | Mark Steketee – 15 | Glenn Maxwell*[g] | [60][61] |
| DNQ | Did not qualify | SF | Semi-finalists | * | Led the league |
| EF | Lost the Eliminator | RU | Runners-up | ^ | League record |
| KF | Lost the Knockout | CF | Lost the Challenger | C | Champions |
Captains
There have been 11 captains in the Stars' history, including matches featuring an acting captain.
| Captain | Span | M | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W–L% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron White | 2011–15 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Shane Warne | 2012–13 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| James Faulkner | 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brad Hodge | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| David Hussey | 2015–17 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 52.63 |
| John Hastings | 2017–18 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 2018–24 | 65 | 34 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 53.13 |
| Nic Maddinson | 2019 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peter Handscomb | 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Zampa | 2022–23 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 26.67 |
| Marcus Stoinis | 2023–25 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 41.67 |
Home Grounds
| Venue | Games hosted by season | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Total | |
| CitiPower Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lavington Sports Ground | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Manuka Oval | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 61 |
| People First Stadium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ted Summerton Reserve | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Squad
The squad of the Melbourne Stars for the 2025–26 Big Bash League season as of 7 November 2025.[62][63]
- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| No. | Name | Nat. | Birth Date | Batting Style | Bowling Style | Additional Info. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||
| 35 | Hilton Cartwright | 14 February 1992 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | ||
| 37 | Campbell Kellaway | 1 November 2002 | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | ||
| 3 | Tom Rogers | 7 February 1999 | Left-handed | Right-arm leg spin | ||
| All-rounders | ||||||
| 59 | Tom Curran | 12 March 1995 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Overseas Draft Pick (Platinum) | |
| 32 | Glenn Maxwell | 14 October 1988 | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ||
| 16 | Marcus Stoinis | 16 August 1989 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Captain | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| 6 | Sam Harper | 10 December 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | ||
| 10 | Joe Clarke | 26 May 1996 | Right-handed | N/a | Overseas Draft Pick (Silver) | |
| Pace bowlers | ||||||
| - | Austin Anlezark | 16 June 2005 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | ||
| 25 | Scott Boland | 11 April 1989 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | ||
| 7 | Liam Hatcher | 17 September 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | ||
| 36 | Hamish McKenzie | 21 September 1999 | Left-handed | Left-arm unorthodox | ||
| 97 | Haris Rauf | 7 November 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Overseas Draft Pick (Platinum) | |
| 64 | Peter Siddle | 25 November 1984 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | ||
| 61 | Mark Steketee | 17 January 1994 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | ||
| 4 | Mitch Swepson | 4 October 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg spin | ||
Players
Australian representatives
The following is a list of cricketers who have played for the Stars after making their debut in the national men's team (the period they spent as both a Stars squad member and an Australian-capped player is in brackets):
- Jackson Bird (BBL|01–04)
- David Hussey (BBL|01–06)
- Clint McKay (BBL|01–04)
- Matthew Wade (BBL|01–03)
- Shane Warne (BBL|01–02)
- Cameron White (BBL|01–04)
- Adam Voges (BBL|01)
- James Faulkner (BBL|02–07)
- John Hastings (BBL|02–07)
- Brad Hodge (BBL|02–03)
- Glenn Maxwell (BBL|02–15)
- Rob Quiney (BBL|02–07)
- James Muirhead (BBL|03)
- Michael Beer (BBL|04–08)
- Scott Boland (BBL|05–08, 13–15)
- Ben Hilfenhaus (BBL|05–06)
- Marcus Stoinis (BBL|05–15)
- Peter Handscomb (BBL|06–09, 13–14)
- Daniel Worrall (BBL|06–09)
- Adam Zampa (BBL|06–12)
- Ben Dunk (BBL|07–10)
- Nic Maddinson (BBL|08–10)
- Hilton Cartwright (BBL|09–15)
- Nathan Coulter-Nile (BBL|09–13)
- Billy Stanlake (BBL|10–11)
- Joe Burns (BBL|11–13)
- Joel Paris (BBL|13–14)
- Peter Siddle (BBL|14–15)
- Beau Webster (BBL|14)
- Mitch Swepson (BBL|15)
Overseas marquees
Jade Dernbach (BBL|01)
Luke Wright (BBL|01–07)
Lasith Malinga (BBL|02–03)
Dimitri Mascarenhas (BBL|02)
Mohammad Hafeez (BBL|03)
Kevin Pietersen (BBL|04–07)
Dwayne Bravo (BBL|08)
Sandeep Lamichhane (BBL|08–09)
Liam Plunkett (BBL|08)
Dilbar Hussain (BBL|09–10)
Haris Rauf (BBL|09–11, 13, 15)
Dale Steyn (BBL|09)
Andre Fletcher (BBL|10)
Zahir Khan (BBL|10)
Nicholas Pooran (BBL|10)
Qais Ahmad (BBL|11)
Joe Clarke (BBL|11–12, 14–15)
Ahmed Daniyal (BBL|11)
Syed Faridoun (BBL|11)
Andre Russell (BBL|11)
Trent Boult (BBL|12)
Luke Wood (BBL|12)
Liam Dawson (BBL|13)
Dan Lawrence (BBL|13–14)
Usama Mir (BBL|13–14)
Olly Stone (BBL|13)
Imad Wasim (BBL|13)
Tom Curran (BBL|14–15)
Ben Duckett (BBL|14)
Adam Milne (BBL|14)
Source:[64]
Statistics and Awards
Team Stats
- Win–loss record:
| Opposition | M | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W–L% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Strikers | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 52.63 |
| Brisbane Heat | 21 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 38.1 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 63.64 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 64.29 |
| Perth Scorchers | 24 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 34.78 |
| Sydney Sixers | 24 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 37.5 |
| Sydney Thunder | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 45.45 |
| Total | 160 | 77 | 82 | 0 | 1 | 48.43 |
- Highest score in an innings: 2/273 (20 overs) vs Hobart Hurricanes, 19 January 2022
- Highest successful chase: 3/211 (19 overs) vs Adelaide Strikers, 21 November 2021
- Lowest successful defence: 8/134 (20 overs) vs Brisbane Heat, 31 December 2023
- Largest victory:
- Batting first: 112 runs vs Melbourne Renegades, 3 January 2015
- Batting second: 75 balls remaining vs Adelaide Strikers, 9 January 2014
- Longest winning streak: 8 matches (20 December 2013 – 27 January 2014 & 30 December 2019 – 18 January 2020)
- Longest losing streak: 8 matches (17 January 2017 – 9 January 2018 & 6 January – 28 December 2024)
Source:[65]
Individual Stats
- Most runs: Glenn Maxwell – 3,117
- Highest score in an innings: Glenn Maxwell – 154 (64) vs Hobart Hurricanes, 19 January 2022
- Highest partnership: Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis – 207 vs Sydney Sixers, 12 January 2020
- Most wickets: Adam Zampa – 98
- Best bowling figures in an innings: Lasith Malinga – 6/7 (4 overs) vs Perth Scorchers, 12 December 2012
- Hat-tricks taken:
- Haris Rauf vs Sydney Thunder, 8 January 2020
- Most catches (fielder): Glenn Maxwell – 85
- Most dismissals (wicket-keeper): Peter Handscomb – 42 (31 catches, 11 stumpings)
Source:[65]
Individual Awards
- Player of the Match:
- Glenn Maxwell – 17
- Marcus Stoinis – 11
- Luke Wright – 5
- Kevin Pietersen – 4
- Joe Clarke, Nick Larkin, and Adam Zampa – 3
- Michael Beer, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Liam Hatcher, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hodge, Clint McKay, Rob Quiney, and Haris Rauf – 2
- Hilton Cartwright, Jackson Coleman, Ben Duckett, Ben Dunk, Andre Fletcher, John Hastings, David Hussey, Lasith Malinga, Andre Russell, Cameron White, and Daniel Worrall – 1
- BBL Player of the Tournament:
- BBL Team of the Tournament:
- Glenn Maxwell (5) – BBL|07, BBL|08, BBL|09, BBL|10, BBL|14
- Marcus Stoinis (4) – BBL|08, BBL|09, BBL|10, BBL|14
- Luke Wright – BBL|05
- Haris Rauf – BBL|09
- Adam Zampa – BBL|10
- Joe Clarke – BBL|11
See also
Notes
- Cameron White and James Faulkner stood in as acting captain for two games and one game respectively.
- Brad Hodge stood in as acting captain for one game.
- Nic Maddinson stood in as acting captain for three games.
- Peter Handscomb stood in as acting captain for one game.
- Adam Zampa stood in as acting captain for one game.
- Marcus Stoinis stood in as acting captain for one game.
- Joint player of the tournament with Cooper Connolly.