BBL 2021: 11 needed off Zampa's last over, Relive Stars vs Thunder nail-biter; WATCH

The Big Bash League (BBL) 2021 encounter between Melbourne Stars and the Sydney Thunders witnessed one of the most entertaining encounters as the match went right down to the wire.

Adam Zampa defended 11 runs off the last over to help the Stars win by just four runs. Here is a closer look at the Australian leg-spinner's over and a recap of the Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder match.

STA vs THU: Adam Zampa defends 11 runs off last over

With Alex Ross and Ben Cutting batting at the crease, Adam Zampa knew he could not make a mistake while bowling the last over. After conceding five runs off the first four deliveries, some massive drama took place on the fifth ball, as Glenn Maxwell dropped a sitter near the boundary ropes, resulting in the Sydney Thunders picking up an easy run.

As a result, the last ball required four runs, with Cutting on strike. With all the pressure on the 29-year old leg-spinner, he bowled a beautiful flat leg-break to deny the Australian all-rounder from scoring any runs. The Stars were overjoyed with the victory, as can be seen in the video below.

Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder recap

Having batted first, the Melbourne Stars smacked 165 runs in their 20 overs, with Nick Larkin and Hilton Cartwright forming an important partnership for the fourth wicket. After being at 61/3 in 9.3 overs, Larkin and Cartwright added an 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the latter was dismissed for 42 runs off just 30 deliveries. Meanwhile, Larkin remained not out and hit 52 runs off 42 balls, an inning that included five boundaries.
In response, the Sydney Thunders lost some early wickets in their innings as they were 29/2 after 3.1 overs. Then Matthew Gilkes and Sam Billings made an outstanding 89-run partnership for the third wicket, only to see it all go in vain. After both batters were dismissed, it was down to Alex Ross and Ben Cutting to get the Thunders over the line. However, they failed to win the match as Adam Zampa successfully defended 11 runs in the last over.

Image: Twitter@CricketAustralia