THU vs STA Knockout Results

12:17 PM IST NATHAN MCANDREW IS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH FOR HIS BRILLIANT SPELL. He says it was a bowling-friendly track and the spinners bowled superbly on this setting up the stage for them to close the game on a high. Mentions that the crowd was buzzing and they couldn't even hear a nick as it was that loud. Reckons that they were confident of defending this one but knew that early wickets would be crucial. Closes by saying that David Warner has been a brilliant skipper and he has loved his time with the side and they're hopeful of keeping him young and keeping him fit for the team for a few more years.

12:13 PM IST Right then, that will be it from this nail-biting Knockout contest. We hope you enjoyed the coverage. Do join in for the Challenger on Friday (January 24th) where the Sydney Sixers will take on the Sydney Thunder from the SCG in Sydney. That game will start at 8.15 am GMT. But as you know, you can always join early for all the build-up. Until then, take care, and cheers!

12:11 PM IST Time for the post-match presentation...

12:11 PM IST Nathan McAndrew led the bowling for the Sydney Thunder as he claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and took his side to a famous win. The Stars had the game in balance around the halfway mark of the chase but the spin trio of Tanveer Sangha, Tom Andrews, and Chris Green kept taking wickets and putting pressure on the middle order that made the run-scoring difficult for the visitors. Earlier today, the Sydney Thunder batted first and posted a fighting score of 135/7 with runs from Matthew Gilkes, Sam Billings, and Oliver Davies while Tom Curran and Usama Mir were the stand-out bowlers for the Melbourne Stars. The Thunder will be delighted with this win while the Stars will hope to come back strong in the next season.

12:08 PM IST An outstanding bowling effort from the Sydney Thunder has helped them defeat the Melbourne Stars by 21 runs in a crunch Knockout clash and move ahead in the season. Chasing 136 for the win, the Stars lost their top three inside the first five overs post which Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell counter-attacked with a handy little partnership through the middle. The wicket of Marcus Stoinis brought in a slide and the Stars could never recover from thereon. They were reduced from 65/3 to 89/8 in a massive collapse that led to their downfall. Hilton Cartwright and Mark Steketee swung their bats but they were dismissed for 114.