Rob Quiney added injury to insult for the winless Melbourne Stars after almost single-handedly pulling off a miraculous victory at the Gabba.
Former Test batsman Quiney is now in grave doubt for the rest of the Twenty20 tournament after tearing his groin in Sunday night’s gut-wrenching, one-run loss to the Brisbane Heat.
The left-hander produced one of the best rearguard knocks seen in four seasons of the BBL when he hit 32 off the last nine balls he faced after returning to the crease in what had seemed a lost cause.
Needing 37 off the last two overs, Quiney blasted two sixes and a four off Andrew Flintoff and then another six off man-of-the-match Ryan Duffield to put the Stars in the box seat requiring seven off three balls.
But two consecutive singles meant a boundary off the last delivery was needed to tie the scores at 164.
Quiney, who finished unbeaten on 45 after originally retiring hurt on 12, again slogged a Duffield ball hard out to leg but it landed short of the rope and the dejected stalwart could only manage three.
He was too upset to talk post-match and will requires further assessment on his injury.
The Stars’ third straight upset loss has made their slim finals hopes merely mathematical with five games to play.
“You keep referring back to Hobart last year where three wins and a no-result got them into the semis,” Stars captain Cameron White said.
“I thought once they bowled the left-hander (Duffield) to Bobby at the end, we’d win the game to be honest.”
The competition’s glamour club will be boosted by the return of Kevin Pietersen for their derby match against the Renegades but the biggest concern is the form of Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
Maxwell was guilty of one of the most bizarre self-inflicted dismissals when he charged Duffield first ball only to shoulder arms and be clean bowled.
It leaves him with just 12 runs from three games in the BBL and just 21 from his past six bats against the white ball.
Maxwell is not talking to the media while he confronts his demons and White isn’t sure what’s plaguing the $1 million-per-season IPL signing.
“It’s an interesting one,” White said.
“We all know how much potential he does have and that he’s a match-winner in this format.
“It just depends on how he’s going to fight out of it.”
