Melbourne Stars
Based at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Stars are a sort of the Big Bash version of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Flashy, jam-packed with star batsmen and good to watch but they remain one of just two BBL sides who have never won the competition.
They made the final in two of the last three editions, their second and third BBL finals. But 2019-20 wasn’t such a good season for them, missing out on the Playoffs, which is very rare for them. All of the Big Bash betting sites say they will look to go one better this year.
Where to bet on Melbourne Stars
The main betting sites in India that have great odds on Melbourne Stars can be found right here. Sign up to them all below!
The SAFEST Betting Site in the World!
- Focused on cricket for the Indian market
- Fast withdrawals with rupees
- Live streaming of matches
MOST POPULAR Indian Betting Site
- Accepts Indian payment methods
- Good selection of sports
- Amazing customer support
The BEST Betting Site in India!
- Cricket & Kabaddi Betting
- Fast Paytm Withdrawals
- Local Indian Brand
Melbourne Stars Best Odds
The best cricket satta on the Melbourne Stars are 6.5 with Betway to go on and win the BBL for the first time. That makes them third-favourites and there should be some takers of those odds.
They should at the very least make significant improvement compared to last year. But as we know, they’re yet to get over the final hurdle, despite coming so close in the past.
Predicted Group Stage Finish: 2nd
The SAFEST Betting Site in the World!
- Focused on cricket for the Indian market
- Fast withdrawals with rupees
- Live streaming of matches
This year’s Melbourne Stars betting predictions
Here, you will find our cricket prediction articles for each and every Star’s game throughout the BBL 2021-22 league. These predictions will include betting tips, top odds and even where to bet!
Melbourne Stars Performance 2020-21
A rare case of the Stars not even making the playoffs. They finished seventh out of eight and won just five games out of 14, though there was a no-result thrown in there.
Their trio of Aussie stars in Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell were all available for the whole campaign for a change so that was no excuse.
But they rotated their overseas players too much with all of Nicholas Pooran, Andre Fletcher, Dilbar Hussain, Haris Rauf and Zahir Khan playing at one stage or another.
Not only was there too much rotation but none of them played particularly well, either.
Still, a Playoff place would have been secured if they’d won one of their last three games of the season, with the help of a bonus point from somewhere.
But they lost form just when it mattered and paid the price.
Melbourne Stars Performance 2019-20
Excellent in the Group Stages, winning them, they then lost to the Sixers in the Qualifier 1. But they got it right the second time around, beating the Sydney Thunder in the Challenger to book their place in the final.
In a rain-reduced 12 over-match, they couldn’t get up to chase the Sixers’ 116, falling 19 runs short. Glenn Maxwell, Haris Rauf, Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis all made the Team of the Tournament, with Stoinis also ending up as the top runscorer and player of the Tournament.
Melbourne Stars facts
- One of only two teams to have never won the Big Bash – the other being the Hobart Hurricanes.
- The only side to have lost three finals.
- Their match against the Renegades at the MCG on January 2 2016 had the largest-ever attendance of a BBL match: 80,883.
- Marcus Stoinis’ 147 last season is the highest individual score in the Big Bash.
- Skipper Glenn Maxwell is the third-highest run scorer in Big Bash history with 2205 runs in 87 matches. Stoinis is fifth with 2137 runs from 74 games.
Melbourne Stars 2021-22 players
Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Seb Gotch, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (c), Tom O’Connell, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Joe Burns, Sam Rainbird, Joe Clarke, Qais Ahmad (joining after conclusion of Abu Dhabi T10 League), Sam Elliot, Beau Webster
Captain: Glenn Maxwell
The ‘Big Show’ has been at the Stars since the very beginning of the Big Bash and has now been skipper for the past three seasons.
An uncomplicated cricketer, he’s also an unfussy skipper. They’ll need plenty from him and his big bat if they’re to win it, while his occasional off-spin and brilliant fielding are important, too.
He comes into this year’s edition feeling better about life after what’s been a good year for him.
He was excellent for RCB in the IPL despite Bangalore not having a great season and he won the World Cup with Australia despite not having the greatest tournament himself.
But both those campaigns should give him confidence. As if he needed it.
Key Player: Marcus Stoinis
Player of the Tournament and BBL top run-scorer two seasons ago, this is where he’s at his best on fast, bouncy patches where he can hit through the line.
He was good last year despite not being quite at his best, falling just short of 400 runs for the season, making him their top run-scorer once again.
Had a good season for Delhi in the IPL and won the T20 World Cup with Australia. But in both campaigns he batted at five or six, so will have to get used to opening again.
We’ll have to wait and see if he’s available to bowl after having bowled very little over the past few months.
Game-changer: Adam Zampa
Australia’s first-choice ODI and T20 spinner will, as usual, have a big role to play in the middle overs with his leg-spin. They’re not always the best at defending so his ability to break partnerships and take crucial wickets will be vital.
An economy rate of 7.29 throughout his T20 career is very respectable and a strike rate of 17.7 is pretty good, too.
Was Australia’s top wicket-taker at the World Cup in October, proof that he’s bowling extremely well of late.
Melbourne Stars BBL 2021-22 analysis
They actually look pretty solid this year. In the past they’ve carried a few luxury players like Dale Steyn, Andre Fletcher or Nicholas Pooran who just weren’t right for the conditions in Australia.
But English keeper-batsman Joe Clarke should add some real firepower to their batting and take some of the pressure off Maxwell and Stoinis. He’s coming off the back of an excellent season in the Vitality Blast.
And spinner Qais Ahmed could form a lethal spin partnership with Adam Zampa. For the first time in years they look a balanced team and with a good core of Australian players and a couple of fine overseas ones, could be dangerous.
Strengths
Maxwell, Stoinis and Zampa were all key members of Australia’s World Cup-winning side so to have over a quarter of that Australian XI playing for you, is obviously a good start.
And as we said already, for the first time in years they seem to have better balance, with batsmen coming in at the positions they’re suited to and decent options when it comes to both pace and spin with the ball.
They made a good move in letting Nic Maddison go and bringing in the more consistent Joe Burns into that middle-order.
Despite never winning the BBL on his watch, Maxwell is a good captain.
Weaknesses
They’ve made three finals and lost them all. It makes you think that for some reason, they allow pressure to get the better of them in terms of the biggest games and the longer the drought goes on for, the harder it will get.
In terms of personnel, they may just be lacking a star strike bowler. They don’t really have a player steaming in, bowling fast and who can take early wickets time after time.