Maxwell hammered two boundaries and four sixes during his entertaining innings of 66
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The Melbourne Stars triumphed over their crosstown rivals, the Melbourne Renegades, in a last-ball thriller at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Glenn Maxwell starred with the bat for the Stars as he smashed 66, while all-rounder James Faulkner excelled with the ball as he took three wickets.
However, Renegades opener Matthew Wade deserves some credit for his valiant knock of 71.
Renegades captain Aaron Finch would have been regretting his decision to bat first as he himself was caught by Kevin Pietersen at mid-off off the bowling of Jackson Bird for 12 runs.
Callum Ferguson scored 15 runs before he was given out lbw off the bowling of Maxwell.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes fared no better as he was brilliantly caught by Stars skipper Cameron White at cover off the bowling of Faulkner.
Wade and Tom Beaton stabilised the innings with a 58-run partnership, during which Wade brought up his half-century, before he was caught by John Hastings at long-on off the bowling of Faulkner.
Wade’s excellent knock of 71 came off 49 balls and included two boundaries and four sixes.
Wade’s gutsy knock of 71 went in vain
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Shakib Al Hasan only made one run before he was caught by Luke Wright at deep midwicket off the bowling of Hastings.
Beaton went on to score 34 runs before he was caught by Wright at midwicket off the bowling of Faulkner.
Thanks to Wade, the Renegades finished on 153/6 off their 20 overs.
Faulkner was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Bird, Hastings and Maxwell chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Faulkner finished with figures of 3-19 off three overs
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Chasing 154 to win, the Stars got off to a poor start as they lost Wright and White in quick succession.
Maxwell and Pietersen steered the innings back in the right direction with a 120-run partnership, during which Maxwell registered his half-century, before he was clean bowled by Fawad Ahmed.
Maxwell’s superb innings of 66 came off 44 balls and included two boundaries and four sixes.
Pietersen ended up making 49 off 49 deliveries, which included three boundaries and a six, before he was caught behind off the bowling of Stokes.
Stokes struck again the very next ball when Faulkner was caught by Nathan Rimmington at point for five runs.
Heading into the final over, the Stars only required six runs to win.
However, things became a lot closer than most people would have expected as Alex Keath and Hastings were run out on the fourth and fifth ball of the over.
Needing one run to win off the last ball, wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt managed to scamper through for a single to lead the Stars to a nail-biting three-wicket win.
Stokes was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Ahmed, Al Hasan and James Pattinson claimed one wicket each.
Maxwell was named Man of the Match for his vital knock of 66.