A “genius” Glenn Maxwell produced a stunning 90-run knock for the ages to lift the Melbourne Stars from disaster in their must-win derby against the Renegades on Sunday night.
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And in a hilarious moment in the 17th over which teammate Hilton Cartwright said he had “never seen before”, Maxwell proved just how much of a genius he is.
The Stars, who entered Sunday’s game on the bottom of the ladder and with a 3-5 record, looked to be in serious trouble at 7-75 before ‘The Big Show’ lived up to expectations.
Maxwell smashed four fours and 10 sixes as he single-handedly flipped the game on its head before eventually being dismissed for 90 off just 52 balls.
In amusing scenes, Maxwell and Usama Mir combined for 81 runs with Mir contributing zero to that tally.
In fact, there were several instances where Maxwell turned down singles to make sure he stayed on strike given that put the Stars in the best position to keep the runs ticking over.
In one particularly funny moment, Mir started running after Maxwell smacked one ball towards the ropes, with a diving attempt from Jacob Bethell stopping it from being a boundary.
Mir had already got up to the striker’s end when Maxwell sent him hurrying back.
“No run at all on a bizarre night at Marvel,” Mark Howard said in commentary.
Speaking later in the game, Cartwright said he had “never seen anything like it”.
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“I’d love to know what the record is because that’s got to be the record partnership without a contribution,” he laughed.
“We thought if we’d get to 50 and that’d be phenomenal… and then he sat there. It’s like four-day cricket when you’re bowling a No.11, you face five balls and block the last.
“I’ve never seen (anything like it). I mean, I’ve seen a couple of singles turned down from the 17th over onwards but not, what was it the 11th over? I’ve never seen anything like it.
“It just shows how well Maxi can read games.”
It was an opinion shared by Adam Gilchrist, who said Maxwell’s “mindset” and “computer brain” for short-form cricket is “one of if not the best in the world”.
“Bizarre as Mark Howard said, that whole innings from the team but Glenn Maxwell also — so much skill, precision, the experience to draw on to know how to farm the strike but then to latch onto any opportunity to score,” Gilchrist said.
“The experience of Maxwell meant Mir didn’t have to make too many decisions other than to let a couple of balls go and when to run when he was called on. He did his job.
“But I just think the mindset, the computer brain of Glenn Maxwell for short-form cricket, it’s got to be one of if not the best in the world at just adapting to a situation, to understand what’s required.
“He spoke to us pre-game. All he ever thinks about is what’s best for the team in whatever situation and that came to the fore tonight. That’s just extraordinary.”
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Cartwright said he was hoping Maxwell would be able to help the Stars get to around 120 or 130 runs.
“Something to bowl at,” he added.
“That was some extraordinary batting. He’s got all the shots in the book and arguably the most pressure we’ve seen and he performed like that. It shows how good he is.”
It was not the first time that Maxwell had put the Stars in a winning position this week, having inspired Melbourne to a 16-run upset win over the Sixers on Friday.
Maxwell scored an unbeaten 58 off 32 balls in that game, with the Stars claiming their third straight win to put themselves in a position to still contend for the finals despite a slow start.
Michael Vaughan called Maxwell a “genius” on Sunday night.
“From 70-odd for seven, they’re out of the competition and then suddenly he starts to get into his flow,” Vaughan said.
“You can just see Will Sutherland, he’s trying to do his best and you can see the bowlers trying to work out where to bowl but just every now and again you come up against someone that’s just better and far too good.
“I mean, these shots he makes look so easy and they’re so difficult to play. He’s just remarkable to get a six over cover point with a slice of the bat, then he goes down the ground. He’s a special player.”
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