The Melbourne Stars' finals hopes are all but over, after the BBL's great disappointments paid the price for failing to appeal for a run out in their 18-run loss to Sydney Thunder.
Often maligned for finding new ways to shoot themselves in the foot through 14 years of the competition, the winless Stars slumped to a new level of bizarre on Saturday night in Canberra.
Chasing 183 for victory, Englishman Ben Duckett hit 67 from 49 balls, but no-one else could fire around him as the Stars finished 8-164 in reply.
In reality, though, they could have been chasing far less having let Sam Billings hit 72 after he should have been run out when on 16.
After Billings hit a ball to short third man with the Thunder 3-95 in the 13th over, Joel Paris threw down the bowler's end stumps.
Replays later showed Billings was out of his crease when the ball hit the stumps, after not sliding his bat.
No one appealed 😳
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 28, 2024
Sam Billings was well short of his crease here, but somehow he survived, and Maxi couldn't believe it! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/BUY1E5K6Hb
Melbourne captain Marcus Stoinis and bowler Peter Siddle both vented their frustration at Paris for giving away an overthrow, but did not appeal.
The umpire then asked the pair if they wanted to, only for Siddle to shake his head and Stoinis to feign a "how's that" before telling the umpire "don't worry" when asked if he wanted it checked.
"I said to the umpire you can't keep asking if they don't want to appeal," Englishman Billings said.
"Pretty dopey moment to be honest from me, I didn't know he'd thrown it. Quite bizarre. Sometimes you just need a bit of luck to go your way."
Billings then smacked 56 from 23 deliveries after the missed chance, beginning with a big legside boundary off Siddle on the next ball as commentators told Glenn Maxwell of the situation.
"That seems about right ... You're kidding me," Maxwell said on the Fox Sports commentary.
Making matters worse for the Stars, it wasn't the only life offered up to Billings.
He was also put down by Brody Couch in the deep when on 25, before reverse-sweeping his next three balls from spinner Usama Mir to the boundary.
The 33-year-old also belted Beau Webster for a massive six over long-on later in the innings.
In reply, the Stars looked well in the chase at 3-96 after 10 overs, before the Thunder turned the screws in the field.
The next three overs went for 11 runs, with only Duckett able to offer Melbourne a hope.
But when he edged a short Daniel Sams ball through to wicketkeeper Billings with 54 still required from 28 balls, the game was effectively over.
Wes Agar (3-25) then cleaned up the lower order, taking three wickets in an over in his first game for the Thunder.
The only negative for the men in lime green was a suspected repeat of a bicep tear for legspinner Jason Sangha, hurt after high-fiving teammates after taking Maxwell's wicket.
The result moves the Thunder back into the top four with a 2-1 record, while the Stars are 0-5 despite having one of the best rosters in the BBL.
It means their wait for a maiden title will almost certainly extend into a 15th season, with wins in their last five games no certainty to be enough to reach the finals.
