Final result
Melbourne Stars won by 8 wickets
Player of the match: MP Stoinis
Result · Big Bash League
Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars
Result · Big Bash League
Venue par · 205Chase success · 58%POTM · MP Stoinis
Match preview & overview
Stars cruise to 8-wicket win over Hurricanes at the MCG
Melbourne Stars beat Hobart Hurricanes by 8 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 18 December 2025. Chasing 159, Stars barely broke sweat. They posted 48/1 in the powerplay, moved to 137/2 through the middle overs, and knocked off the remaining runs from the death without losing another wicket. Hobart had recovered from a shaky start to reach 115/3 at the end of the middle overs, but a collapse of 6 wickets for 43 in the final phase limited them to 158/9. It was never quite enough. MP Stoinis took the Player of the Match award.
The Hurricanes' powerplay was difficult: 38 runs and 3 wickets gone inside the first six overs left them needing a major middle-overs recovery. They got it, with 77 runs and no wickets in that phase suggesting the pitch was playing well. The death overs undid much of that work. Six wickets tumbling for 43 runs is the kind of collapse that shifts the psychology of a chase, and Stars' batters never looked like they were under pressure.
Pitch report & venue insights
Melbourne Cricket Ground — 155-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2002–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
155
T20 matches hosted
205
Avg 1st-innings score
190
Avg 2nd-innings score
58%
Chase success rate
38
Avg powerplay runs
57%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Stars' middle overs sealed the chase early
Melbourne Stars scored 89 runs in the middle phase of their chase for just 1 wicket, effectively removing any doubt about the result well before the death overs. Their powerplay of 48/1 had already set the platform, and 22 runs from the death overs were barely required.
Angle 02
Hurricanes' death batting cost them badly
Angle 03
Stoinis named Player of the Match
Angle 04
Stars extend head-to-head dominance
Angle 05
MCG chase conditions favoured the Stars
Key players
Players who decided it
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top batter markets may offer more value than outright result lines when MCG chase conditions heavily favour the team batting second, as the ground's 56% chase success rate suggests.
- Middle-overs run lines could be worth monitoring given Melbourne Stars' 89 runs for 1 wicket in overs 7 to 15 of this chase, well above the MCG T20 average.
- Player of the Match markets historically tend to favour prominent batters in comfortable chases at high-scoring T20 venues, with the MCG averaging 205 in the first innings.
- Death-overs wicket markets may attract attention given Hobart Hurricanes' collapse of 6 wickets for 43 runs in the final phase of their innings here.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars
Who won the Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes BBL match on 18 December 2025?
Melbourne Stars won by 8 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Chasing 159, they reached their target with considerable ease, losing only 2 wickets across the entire innings.
Who was Player of the Match in Stars vs Hurricanes on 18 December 2025?
MP Stoinis was awarded Player of the Match for his contribution to Melbourne Stars' successful chase of 159. He played a central role in the team's composed pursuit of the target.
Where can I watch BBL matches in the UK?
Big Bash League matches are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can also stream via Sky Go or a NOW TV day pass. Coverage typically includes live commentary and highlights.
What is the head-to-head record between Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes?
Melbourne Stars lead the all-time BBL head-to-head 15 wins to 9, from 24 meetings with no no-results. The last five fixtures have been split more evenly, with Hobart winning three of those encounters.
What did Hobart Hurricanes score in the first innings?
Hobart Hurricanes posted 158/9 from their 20 overs. They lost 3 wickets in the powerplay for 38 runs, recovered well through the middle overs with 77 for no wicket, then collapsed to lose 6 wickets for 43 in the death overs.
What is the MCG like as a T20 venue?
The Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted 155 T20 matches and averages 205 in the first innings, making it one of the higher-scoring domestic T20 venues in Australia. Teams batting second have won 56% of matches here, and 54% of toss winners choose to field.
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Photo credits (4)
- Marcus Stoinis — photo by www.davidmolloyphotography.com from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 · source
- Pat Cummins — photo by SirWellsy99, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Jasprit Bumrah — photo by Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · source
- Shane Watson — photo by paddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source