Melbourne Stars fall victim to biggest defeat in Big Bash history

After Sixers made 213 for 4, having been asked to bat first, Stars – who were missing several key players – were bowled out for 61 in just 11.1 overs

Melbourne Stars suffered the worst possible start to their Big Bash campaign, losing against reigning champions Sydney Sixers by 152 runs – a record margin of defeat in the competition's history.

After Sixers made 213 for 4, having been asked to bat first, Stars – whose line-up was significantly depleted – were bowled out for 61 in just 11.1 overs.

There have been only 16 shorter completed innings in all T20 cricket, with Melbourne Renegades' 64-ball implosion against Sixers last year still retaining its Big Bash record.

That game – a 145-run win for Sydney – previously represented the largest winning margin until Sunday, when Josh Philippe, James Vince and Moises Henriques put Melbourne's bowlers to the sword before Steve O’Keefe and Sean Abbott shared seven wickets, with Stars having lost their entire top five by the end of the powerplay.

^{Marcus Stoinis missed out with a side strain (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)}

When Adam Zampa fell in the ninth over, Melbourne were 47 for 9, in danger of recording one of the lowest-ever scores in a major T20 competition, two runs short of Royal Challengers Bangalore's 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders and only just clear of Glamorgan, who were bowled out for 44 by Surrey in 2019 in the T20 Blast.

Previously, only 14 teams in T20 history had lost by a greater margin – and none in a major franchise tournament.

There were mitigating circumstances for Stars, however, who were without Nathan Coulter-Nile, Joe Burns and Marcus Stoinis due to injury, while overseas leg-spinner Qais Ahmad is not yet available.